Primary Collection of Waste from Residential area
10.7.4 Primary Collection of Waste from Societies/Complexes
In private societies, complexes and multi storied buildings, normally no sweepers are provided by local bodies, hence private sweepers are generally engaged. It may therefore be made compulsory for the management of the societies, complexes and multi-storeyed builders, to keep community bins or containers in which dry and wet waste may be separately stored by there residents.
Such bins may be placed at easily approachable locations to facilitate convenient collection by the municipal staff or the contractors engaged by the local body. The local body should arrange to collect waste from these community bins/containers through handcarts, tricycles, pick-up vans, or other waste collection vehicles as may be convenient, on a daily basis.
To facilitate collection of waste from societies or commercial complexes, the local bodies should by a rule, make it obligatory for them to identify an appropriate site within their premises for keeping such bin/container for the storage of waste.
10.7.5 Collection of Waste from Slums
Local bodies should collect waste from slums by bell ringing/whistle system along their main access-lanes. Residents should bring their wastes from their houses to hand carts. Where slum residents prefer community bins, they should bring their biodegradable waste to these bins only an hour or two before the time of clearance. The local body may, if so desired, engage a private contractor for collection of such waste. Performance certification by a “Mohalla (local level) Committee” may be insisted upon in such cases.
10.7.6 Collection-at-the Doorstep in Posh Residential Areas
In posh residential areas where the residents as a whole might not be willing to bring their waste to the municipal handcart/ tricycle, system of collection from the-door step on full cost recovery basis may be introduced. This service can be contracted out by the local body or NGOs or contractors registered with the local body may be encouraged to provide such service in the areas where it is found economically viable to introduce door to door waste collection service.
This service may not be provided to isolated houses, shops and establishments. Penal provisions may be introduced for failure of service where contracts are proposed to be awarded.
10.7.7 Collection of Duly Segregated Recyclable/Non-io-degradable Waste from Households
Recyclable waste has a value. Several rag pickers in the urban areas, therefore, move from street to street, bin to bin and go to the dump yard to pick up recyclable waste. These rag pickers are exposed to health risks as they put their bare hands in contaminated waste. They sell contaminated waste to the waste purchasers stored in slums creating unhygienic conditions. Quite often they spread the waste at the dust bin site to pick up recyclable. This system can be improved by introducing a system of collecting recyclable waste from the doorsteps changing the roll of rag pickers to that of waste collectors. This informal sector could thus be organised through NGOs, upgraded and given an opportunity to earn their living through doorstep collection of unsoiled recyclable waste.
NGOs may be activated to organise the rag pickers and convert them into door-step waste-collectors to improve their quality of life and to reduce their health risk. This will also increase their income levels. NGOs may allot to such waste collectors specified lanes and by-lanes comprising of 150 to 250 houses and some shops for doorstep collection of recyclable. They may also be given identity cards by the NGOs for increasing their acceptability in society. NGOs and/or the corporation may support such waste collectors by giving them bags and tools required for collection of recyclable waste from the doorsteps. The local body may also inform the community of the arrangements made by the NGO and advise
them to avail of the services as illustrated in the Fig. 10.6.
FIG. 10.6 HOUSE TO HOUSE COLLECTION OF RECYCLABLE WASTE THROUGH A WASTE COLLECTOR (UPGRADED RAGPICKER) – AN NGO EFFORT.
10.8 ENCOURAGEMENT TO NGO’S / PRIVATE SECTOR
Local bodies may also encourage NGO/private sector to collect both food/biodegradable waste as well as recyclable waste from the door steps on their own by making direct contractual arrangement with the residents’ associations/commercial complexes to reduce their financial burden.
