Bengaluru dustbins in trouble: 500 go missing, some vandalized
What's the story
Even dustbins aren't safe in Bengaluru. As many as 500 bins out of the installed 2,200 have been stolen or damaged in the recent past, revealed data by the city civic body. They suspect either scrap dealers or shopkeepers are behind the nuisance. The BBMP had installed the dustbins in the city recently, in accordance with Swachh Survekshan 2018 guidelines.
Details
As bins go missing, the streets are getting dirtied
Either the lids of the bins have been pulled down or the dustbins are missing altogether, resulting in an uncontrolled spread of garbage, which also dirties the roads, said senior officials. In some places like MG Road and Church Street, BBMP had installed small garbage bins, but in places like Malleswaram, Commercial Street and Yelahanka, the bins are of larger capacity.
BBMP says
Larger bins are only for shoppers and pedestrians, not shopkeepers
The larger ones, 200-kg twin plastic litter bins, are only meant for pedestrians and shoppers. However, the shopkeepers are loading them with their own waste, "causing them to overflow and form a black spot." "Shops have door-to-door collection and are not supposed to use the litter bins," said a BBMP official. There should be awareness at the zonal level, he emphasized.
Observations
Bins have high resale value, theft possible: BBMP
Regarding the smaller bins, BBMP Joint Commissioner Sarfaraz Khan said many shopkeepers in commercial establishments want to keep the premises clean to attract more customers. Hence, they wanted a change in location of dustbins, but "it's difficult to find such spots in busy commercial areas," Khan added. Commenting on the bins getting stolen, he said it's possible, as the bins have high resale value.
Action
CCTV footage may help BBMP in nabbing 'dustbin chor'
BBMP plans to nab the culprits by scanning the CCTV footage of vulnerable areas. Notably, not a single dustbin was installed in Bengaluru roads for 17 long years, as former Chief Minister SM Krishna dreamt of turning the city into Singapore. It was replaced by door-to-door collection of garbage, but since the slum and commercial areas were getting sidelined, dustbins made a comeback.
Information
HC orders BBMP to install 'smart bins' across city
The Karnataka HC ordered BBMP yesterday to install 100 smart-bins across the city. The bins, having 1.5-ton capacity, have sensors that send out alerts to contractors whenever they get filled. Some bins have already been installed on pilot basis near Vidhana Soudha and Cubbon Park.