Tata Steel subsidiary Jusco's 2 Bins 1 Bag project will kick off from Tuesday in Jamshedpur, making it the first city in Jharkhand to introduce segregation of solid waste at source.
Segregation of solid waste at source - every home - is said to be the best way to reduce dumping of trash at landfills and increase waste recycling and processing.
Jusco aims to bring the 2 Bins 1 Bag project to nearly 45,000 households - or a population of nearly 7 lakh - in Jamshedpur's company command areas that it caters to, which generate 350MT of waste a day.
On Tuesday, the project will kick off at its Sitaramdera centre that will also cover areas Bhalubhasa, Bhuiyandih and Baradwari.
In the days to come, it will reach Jusco's Sidhgora centre, which will also cover Agrico and Baridih; and the Dhatkidih centre that will have Bistupur, Ramdas Bhatta and Contractor's Area under its fold.
"From Tuesday, waste collectors in uniform with ID cards will carry carts or vans on the doorstep of each household between 7am and 11am to collect kitchen and garden wastes in a green bin, used sanitary napkins, bandages, rejected razors and blades, used syringes and injection vials in a red bin and dry items like plastic, paper, glass, rubber, cosmetics and e-waste in a transparent or white disposable bag under the 2 Bins 1 Bag project," said Jusco spokesperson Rajesh Rajan.
Contents of the green bin will go straight to the Jusco compost plant near Jubilee Park. The red bin's trash will go to the Bara landfill in Sidhgora while the white bag's contents to the dry waste collection centre at Kadma from where they will reach recycling units.
Doorstep collection apart, Jusco personnel will also speak to persons of each household on why segregation of waste is important.
"Our personnel will personally speak to members of each household about the concept of waste segregation in colour-coded bins and bags. We will cover 200 households each day through our centres in Sitaramdera, Sidhgora and Dhatkidih," the spokesperson added.
A Jusco source said rates for waste collection to be charged from households would be aligned to state government municipal laws. "According to state urban development department notifications, rates has been divided into three slabs depending on income. The lower income group or LIG will pay Rs 30 per month, middle income group or MIG Rs 50 per month and higher income group or HIG Rs 80 per month," said an official in Jusco health department.
The Telegraph had on April 25 reported about the pilot project of 2 Bins 1 Bag in Kadma, inspired by the Bangalore model wherein rag-pickers were trained in doorstep waste collection and segregation. Now, the pilot project will get a wider ambit, keeping not just the city cleaner but also utilising the skills of rag-pickers and giving them a better income and self-respect.
