The National Green Tribunal state committee recently made some interesting suggestions which if implemented will see Bengalureans receiving their parcel food delivery in steel dabbas similar to the dabbawalas in Mumbai. This one change can go a long way in reducing the overload of garbage and plastic disposal in the city.
Solution To Bengaluru’s Garbage/Plastic Disposal Problem?
Just like all the other metro cities in the country, Bengaluru is also fighting to find a permanent solution to its garbage and plastic disposal issue. Despite the ban on plastic by the civic body, the rules have not been followed as stringently as expected. That is why the National Green Tribunal (NGT) state committee held a meeting recently at the Karnataka Pollution Control Board.
Retd. Justice Subhash Adi chaired the meeting and emphasized on the plastic ban and waste management practices of choultries, kalyana mandapas, and hotels. According to the Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association (BBHA) they have already implemented many methods directed at cutting down plastic use in the city.
The president of BBHA, P C Rao said that even though many hoteliers now do not use plastic bags, it is still a challenge to enforce the ban on plastic with the small roadside eateries and vendors. Rao says, “We are ready to support the plastic ban. We are going to put up boards at hotels asking customers to bring their own bags to take away parcels. We will also provide cloth bags if required.”
The BBHA is also planning to request KMF to provide milk in reusable containers in place of the plastic packets. Hoteliers use more than 1 lakh liters of milk every day. So if they are provided the milk in sealed containers it will cut down the use of plastic bags to a large extent.
Implementation Of Mumbai Dabba System
As of now, the plastic containers have not been banned in Karnataka. But even then the authorities are looking beyond to implement the dabba system followed by Mumbaikers for reducing the use of plastic. Dr. Manoranjan Hegde, the Chief Health officer stated during the meeting that they want to enforce the dabba system similar to Mumbai for home delivery of food.
The NGT has even asked the home delivery partners to come up with an action plan regarding the use of reusable or steel boxes or dabbas. He says, “Hotels can use steel dabbas to deliver food and collect them later from the customers.”
But the hotel association thinks that it is difficult to implement practically. Even then they are trying for it in some hotels. Hegde said, “Customers can bring their own dabbas when they come to the restaurant to take away food. We can also provide them food in steel dabbas but they will have to deposit a certain amount which we will refund once the steel dabbas are returned.”
Additional Commissioner, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Randeep D says that the officials have already instructed choultries and kalyana mantappas to stop the use of any banned plastic containers. He says, “They can tie up with an organization for reusable containers. They should look at reducing waste. We had suggested that they treat their wet waste in situ, probably on their terraces and invest one time in biogas plants.”
