The Times of India                 08.11.2010

NAGPUR: Even though it is two years since Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) launched the 'Garbage bin free city' project, and removed over 570 of the 700 garbage containers, there is almost no check on the dumping of waste at places where these bins once stood. Garbage can be seen dumped on roadsides and at street corners.

To check such dumping of garbage at street corners, NMC's health department (sanitation) and garden department have come up with the idea to landscape and beautify such spots. NMC officials feel that landscaping and green islands will make people think twice about throwing garbage at these places.

Further, NMC has also decided to impose a fine of Rs 1,000 on any person caught throwing garbage at such places, NMC health officer (sanitation) Dr Milind Ganvir said. "Some people do not want to maintain cleanliness outside their homes. We have made several efforts to create awareness, but there are many habitual offenders. Now, beautification of such places along with installation of some monuments seems to be the only option for us," he added.

"If local residents, housing societies, corporates or NGOs come forward to help us in this project, NMC will take responsibility to beautify, landscape and plant trees at these locations. The local partners will have to take responsibility to keep it safe and maintain it," he added.

Recently, NMC tied up with Jayaswal's Neco Industries, one of the biggest industrial groups in the city, to maintain plantation and landscaping on dividers and traffic islands for the next five years. Based on this project, NMC will hand over locations of earlier garbage bins across the city to other organisations," a senior garden department official said.

NMC began the ambitious garbage bin free city project in July 2008 and gave contract to Kanak Resources Management Limited (KRML). Under this, garbage was to be collected directly from homes and markets using closed hydraulic vehicles and transported to transfer stations. From here, it would be transported to Bhandewadi dumping yard in containers. The contractor accordingly started work and removed 570 garbage bins deploying 154 vehicles and 450 men. However, the remaining 130 bins - most of them are in market areas - are yet to be removed.

Kamlesh Sharma, manager of KRML, said that rest of the bins couldn't be removed for want of garbage transfer stations in all parts of the city. That would make the process of garbage lifting and its transportation to Bhandewadi dumping yard smoother. If NGOs and civic body develop greenery and landscaping at such places and impose fine seriously, then people will not throw garbage in such places, believe NMC officials.