Dry Waste Purchase Programme in Khammam

             

Background: In Khammam city, Door to Door Garbage collection was a comparitively new concept. Government was insisted to implement the special sanitation programme of 100 days.Also, there was compulsion of implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules-2000 by collecting the waste at door step by segregating into dry and wet waste.

Activity:

1.Concil Resolution was taken to allocate vehicles for purchasing of dry waste and rates fixed for this purpose. Sri.Siddhartha Jain critically analyzed for 15 minutes saying that this is a good thought and programme and I am analysing because you should not fail, said to Srinivas, Municipal Commissioner, Khammam.

The rates fixed at 3 levels were as follows :

Stage1.1 rupee would be paid to household,

Stage2.2 rupees would be paid to collecting SHG.

Stage3.3 Rupees or more would be maked out by the Khammam municipal Corporation.

Stage4.6 Rupees or more would be maked out by the bulk garbage sellers, duly segregated the dry waste into different components.

2.First, staff meeting was conducted and explained the advantages of the programme.The targets were fixed for the Community Organisers to conduct meetings and implement the Model in their areas.

3.Large scale awareness meetings were conducted in about 30 Localities, where municipal commissioner, Khammam directly interacted with the poor women.

4 . During the meeting some of the positive comments are received from the poor women as follows :

a.it is a good idea.

b.It would have implemented earlier.

c.It brings money to poor people.

d.earlier municipality demanded money to receive garbage. Now municipality will give money on reciept of garbage.

e.health of people would be improved.

More or less,they were able to enlist the advantages of the system going to be implemented. Earlier, there were sporadic purchase schemes in different ULBs by different organisations. But, it was ULB driven purchase programme of dry waste.

After conducting the awareness programmes such as meetings of poor people, announcements and publishing of pamphlets, the programme was started in the Bokkalagadda slum area abutting the Munneru river

Programme:

On one Friday, the programme of the dry waste purchase was started. It was a superstition that waste should not be handedover on that day.I convinced that it is a "Dry Wealth" rather than a dry waste.It brings the Goddess Lakshmi in the form of money.Also, it was verymuch strategically publicised that Government is offering Rupees One per kilogram rice . Khammam municipal Corporation is giving One rupee on receipt of dry waste.People was able to convince on the explanation.

All the SHG Women members participated in the programme till it was stabilised.One elder person by name Sheshamma was taken a lot of interest .Also ex C.D.S president also co-operated.The initiative of Smt.Uma , Community Organiser was amazing.

Municipal Corporation has arranged the spring balance to weigh 5Kg of dry wealth.The Rikshaw and tractors were also arranged for collection of Dry Wealth. The commitment of people was amazing. They segregated the waste.They did not mixed the dry and wet waste.It was also arranged to give the amount then and there to household after weiging the Dry Wealth.

Slowly, it spread to other localities.Officers from other districts were also observed the initiative.

Reasons for failure:

The old materials purchasers did not come forward to purchase the dry wealth with a malafide intention that they loose their hegemony in purchasing of dry waste.

2.Also ,money rotation was not proper, as the wealth collected was wetted due to rain and lack of proper protection in compost yard. SHG has to wait for their payment.

3.Staff was not cooperative for further segregation of dry wealth.

4 . There were only one sanitary Inspector, where 7 has to work.

Advantages :

1.Till the initiative continued , the visiting officers did not find a single piece of paper in the locality and its drains.

2.The once worst slum of Bokkalagadda had become clean and mosquito free.

3.People and SHGs were able to generate wealth out of waste.

4 . Environment was protected.

5 . Earlier there use to be demand for money to clean the localities.In this initiative, there was insentive for people for keeping it clean.

6.Less number of staff are required in this initiative.

7.public was fully involved in the initiative.