INDEPTH: STEP 2 - WASTE SEGREGATION AWARENESS

STEP 2: AWARENESS OF WASTE SEGREGATION

After the successful introduction and implementation of dry waste and wet waste bins across the city, it is now required to make citizens aware of waste segregation, its necessity, benefits and also inculcate the habit in the residents of Aurangabad. The wards implemented waste segregation measures after the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation's solid waste management drive 'Majhi City taka tak' was started in cooperation with the Civic Response Team in 2016. As part of the drive, sanitary staffers were trained in waste segregation following which many of them sensitized residents about wet and dry garbage and its collection. Prakash Athawale, the sanitary inspector of Gnaneshwar Colony, Sanjay Nagar, Ram Nagar, Vitthal Nagar, Kamgaar Colony and Chikalthana wards, has been able to achieve 80-90% waste segregation at source. "We have a dedicated organic composting site for wet waste while 40% waste goes to the dry garbage sorting centre” said Athawle. Two separate bins blue and green color have been installed all over the city. The blue bin is for the dry waste and the green bin is for the wet waste. When asked about the concept of these bins to Rahim , a street vendor at Lotakaranja, he said “I’ve heard about this separating garbage thing but honestly I don’t know what is wet garbage and what is dry so its tough for an old man like me to understand and follow what this government is saying.” Natasha Zarine, a partner with the Civic Response Team (CRT) said awareness and teaching of both residents and sanitation workers need to be undertaken to ensure effective garbage disposal. Zarine said, “Awareness is the first step to achieving the target of segregation at source. Citizens and sanitary staff are the two most important elements of garbage collection. They need to be educated about the basics of segregation. An organized campaign can ensure this.”Aurangabad municipal commissioner D M Mugalikar said “We have already issued public notification to make people aware about the basics of disposal. The local civic body will leave no stone unturned to reach out to citizens to receive the desired cooperation from them.”

Hoarding and posters for the awareness of dry and wet waste segregation and disposal are been put up in the city in Connaught areas and others for people to know and learn about the necessity and benefits environmentally and health wise on them so that everyone takes up the responsibility of efficient waste segregation.