Garbage disposal streamlined

by Husna inayathullah

Tax monies collected from tax payers are spent mainly on collecting and dumping garbage. It has turned out to be a headache to the Council. In a wide ranging interview with the Sunday Observer, Dehiwala-Mt. Lavinia Municipal Comissioner, Dammika Muthugala, he said a staggering Rs three million is spent on disposing garbage and this amount could be saved if garbage is disposed of in a systematic manner. The Dehiwala-Mt. Lavinia Municipal Council is quite emphatic that under no circumstances will garbage be collected if it is not separated as instructed.

Mountains of garbage dumped in selected spots

The Colombo Core Area (CCA) situated in the Western Province comprises the three Municipal Councils of Colombo, Dehiwala-Mt.Lavinia and Kotte.

The Dehiwala-Mt. Lavinia Municipal Council in collaboration with the Solid Water Management Department has taken measures to collect garbage in a streamlined manner where householders have been asked to separate the garbage before disposal.

Breeding

This measure would also reduce pollution and cut down on breeding deadly mosquitoes which spread Dengue, Filaria and Malaria

"The separation of biodegradable and non biodegrable garbage can reduce the final cost of rupees three million a month on dumping garbage. This procedure will make things easy. The money saved from this endeavor could be used for the development of the city. If the garbage is not separated, the MC will not accept garbage from households," says the Dehiwala-Mt. Lavinia Municipal Comissioner, Dammika Muthugala.

Meanwhile taxpayers in urban areas are not satisfied with the services they get and have many grievances.

Mayor, Danasiri Amaratunge's says householders should assist the MC and separate the garbage by adhering to the Council's request. He said tax collected from the people is spent mainly on garbage disposal and this he says it is an absolute waste.

Commissioner Muthugala said for a day more than 200 tons of garbage is collected from the Dehiwala and Mt. Lavinia areas and disposed of in the Karadiyana region in the Borelasgamuwa urban area.

He said upto now a mix waste was collected and dumping this costed Rs. 55,000 for every ton of garbage , this was in addition to transport costs. "We have informed the public to put the waste in seperate bins. At the moment we are encouraging them to do so. We educated the public on how to seperate the garbage by visiting houses and providing them with leaflets," he said.

"We implemented the new program on October 15, 2015 in 15 regions which came under the purview of the Dehiwala - Mt.Lavinia Municipal Council(MC).

There are approximately 95,000 families in the region. At the moment we find it difficult to provide garbage bins to everyone. We have decided to provide some areas with recyclable bins. If householders separate garbage, we can save 50 percent of the cost of expenditure on dumping garbage," he said.

The MC has not implemented the new program in all regions. After an assessment, in 2016 the MC plans to provide bins free of charge to householders who pay tax for the whole year within December and January.

A resident from Karagampitiya said, "The garbage truck should come more than twice a week. They say that they come twice a week but they do not come on the said day and time. It is a big problem. On some weeks garbage truck does not come at all. Garbage accumulates and households begin to stink."

Solid waste disposal

A resident from Mt.Lavinia said the problem of solid waste disposal claimed garbage collectors refuse to collect waste if they are not separated as recyclable and non-recyclable waste. When the garbage trucks fail to collect garbage, it is strewn along the road, in canals and rivers. "We pay taxes but we are not given a proper service.

As I live inside a lane away from the main road, I have to go to the main road to dispose the garbage when the garbage truck comes. If I miss the truck, I have to trek back with the garbage and it begins to rot causing a nauseous odour. Once I asked them to come inside our lane to collect the garbage, they ask for money. This is a terrible situation."

A resident from Nedimala said, "The government should introduce four garbage bins for about 10 houses for paper, glass, degradable waste and non-degradable waste such as the ones introduced in railway stations. It is easy as we need not keep it outside. We can then dump the waste inside the bin so that the garbage collectors can collect it." He further adds that a bin bag is Rs. 10 so it is difficult to purchase four for a week. People who have gardens will burn or bury the garbage but what will householders without a garden like us do, ? he queried.

Shortage

A resident living along the Galle Road in Dehiwela said the garbage truck came daily but for the last two months they have failed to come. She says garbage collectors were facing a shortage now and said they could not come on a daily basis. "Once garbage accumulates, it is difficult to get rid off.

The stench is unbearable and often worms begin to attack it. We give them Rs. 100 monthly and we also give them money on Festival days," she said.

A Public Health Inspector (PHI) who wished to remain anonymous said they distributed leaflets to create awareness about the new program. "We have now begun to collect garbage according to the new method in some areas such as Nedimala, Athurugiriya and Mt. Lavinia.

We will be begin soon in S.D.S Jayasinghe Mawatha and Karagampitiya," he said. to streamline the collection of garbage , he said they were planning to collect garbage on Wednesdays and Saturdays and mke it a bi-weekly pursuit.

"We have informed householders to put garbage into four separate bins such as for paper, glass/electronic waste, food/degradable waste and plastic/polythene rather than in shopping bags.

If they give the garbage in shopping bags we put the garbage into the truck and return the shopping bags to them. We will not take the garbage if it is mixed," he said.