Can Kasa Kiosks succeed where public bins failed?

Bengaluru 

With garbage continuing to pile up across parts of Bengaluru, many residents have grown cynical about the city’s ability to resolve its waste management problems. One solution that has repeatedly been proposed is the installation of community garbage bins- large collection points where residents can dispose of waste if they miss the morning collection by auto-tippers.

With Bengaluru having adopted a bin-less system in 2000, questions are once again being raised about whether the current model is sufficient. However, earlier attempts to introduce community bins failed, as many of them overflowed and became dumping hotspots, creating unhygienic conditions in surrounding areas.

“When you allow people to come and throw waste, they are not go ing to bother about segregation. Secondly, even if they are supposed to throw it into the bin, what are the chances they will actually do so? Many will simply toss the waste from their scooters. That does not help anybody and ends up creating the ugliest spot in the neighbourhood,” said Padmashree Balaram, an activist working on waste management solutions.

While such bins can be difficult for authorities to manage, supporters argue that they provide residents with an alternative when the timing of auto-tipper collections is inconvenient. Athul Krishna, a resident of RT Nagar, lives near a vacant site where heaps of rubbish is routinely dumped. For him, a designated community bin could help eliminate much of the waste accumulating in the area.

“What usually happens is that residents dump waste at certain corners of the neighbourhood. Instead of allowing garbage to pile up on roadsides, segregated community bins could be placed at these locations. People would then have a proper place to dispose of waste, helping keep the area cleaner and preventing the mess created by open dumping sites,” Athul said.

A similar initiative was introduced in Sarvagnanagar a few years ago, but it failed to deliver the desired results. “The problem with the earlier community bins was that they were unmanned, and that made them very difficult to manage,” said Sarvagnanagar AGM Mamatha Ambarish. The latest version of the idea comes in the form of Kasa Kiosks, which Solid Waste Management officials say have got an encouraging response.

Unlike bins, the kiosks are manned round the clock, as most instances of illegal dumping occur during the night. Ambarish said that since the first kiosk was opened recently in Sarvagnanagar, illegal dumping at the site has reduced by nearly 75 per cent. Encouraged by the results, the corporation plans to establish more such kiosks, with one expected to open within days.

While waste is currently collected without segregation, officials plan to introduce segregation at source in the future. Authorities are also considering offering Rs 5 incentives to residents who hand over waste at the kiosks. Officials said the project has received close attention from leaders ranging from MLA KJ George to BBMP Commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar and BSWML CEO Karee Gowda, all of whom have personally monitored its implementation.

If Kasa Kiosks continue to receive support from both residents and officials, Bengaluru may finally be moving towards a more effective solution to its long-standing garbage woes