Bhubaneswar, June 18: The civic body will conduct awareness drive on the use of coloured dust bins to ensure source segregation of waste.

The process of waste sorting ensures separation of waste into different elements. It can also be sorted in a civic amenity site. In the present context, the civic body aims to segregate garbage on the basis of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste.

To begin with, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation will target the market areas, including meat, fish and vegetable zones, to make vendors and buyers aware of using the colour-coded waste bins installed by it in a proper manner.

The corporation has designed specific posters, in which it stated what kinds of waste to go in which bin. "Many don't know what is non-biodegradable and what is biodegradable waste. There is a need to be specific about these. We have designed the posters accordingly," said a civic body official.

Accordingly, the corporation stated that dry and fresh fish, meat, egg shell and so on should be dumped in the green bins, while materials such as boxes used to store eggs, plastic carry bags and bottles, iron, threads, rubber and so on should be dumped in the blue bins. The civic body has stated the information in Odia, so that people can easily comprehend.

"The Union ministry of urban development has decided to begin the source segregation of waste from June 5 on the World Environment Day. We have installed the colour-coded dustbins in various parts of the city," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

"But, we have found that many people are not using those properly. There is a need to make the citizens aware about their use. Hence, we have decided to take this step," Jena went on to add.

Jena further said the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan cell would put up the posters in the market areas. After this, the civic workers would monitor whether the step yielded results.

"The posters will be put up at all major and minor market areas of the city. Vendors will be sensitised to use the bins," said the mayor.

Environmentalists welcomed the administration's move to take up such measures to create awareness among citizens about the source segregation of waste.

"The residents don't know about different kinds of waste. They should be aware. If the waste gets segregated at its sources, it will also help the civic body to transport the same and dispose it of in a safe manner," said environmentalist Sailabala Padhi.