Bhubaneswar: The municipal corporation will install underground and semi-underground dustbins. The process has been set rolling with the corporation uploading its proposal on the website.

According to the proposal, the pre-bid meeting will be held on September 7 and the last date of submission of proposal is September 22.

Deputy commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Srimanta Mishra said the civic body would install 50 semi and underground dustbin. Out of these, 30 will be semi-underground bins measuring 1.5 cubic metre and the other will be 3 cubic metre. The latter will have two compartments of 1.5 cubic metre each.

These underground bins will be fitted with sensors to send alerts to the control room whenever it gets filled. The system could also be integrated with the Bhubaneswar Operations Centre so that a direct command mechanism would be in place to inform garbage truck drivers as well.

The operation and maintenance of these bins will be carried out by the agency. They will install, operate and maintain them initially for five years, the official said.

Underground or semi-underground bins are an efficient and accessible way of collecting waste and recycling materials. "These underground bins will be placed on footpaths and there will be segregation boxes to store waste," said an official of the sanitation wing.

Smart collection bins will keep the collecting points clean and odour free, which is a major problem with traditional dustbins. These underground or semi-underground bins will be covered with a lid to stop the stink. Fitted with sensors, they will significantly reduce the operating cost for collection. These dustbins are low-level throw-ins that children and physically-challenged people can easily access.

Compared to the existing ones, these bins would need minimal space. Smart bins are emptied by lifting the internal container, which makes it possible to weigh the waste during the emptying process, said a sanitation official.