Going a step further in addressing the issue of street garbage storage, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is all set to introduce underground dust bins, albeit non-hydraulic ones. Under the first phase, 15 locations across city have been identified. Every selected location will have two bins each having capacity of 1.5 tonnes. Sharing details of the ambitious project with The Hitavada, Dr Gajendra Mahalle, Chief Sanitation Officer, NMC, said, these bins would be positioned in such a way so as not to be obtrusive. NMC is already on way to affix one hydraulic underground dust bin at its headquarters in Civil Lines. But the new ones would be non-hydraulic, with hooks attached to them for lifting them from their storage place underneath the ground. Mostly these new bins would be placed by the roadside, so as not to obstruct movement of either pedestrians or that of traffic.

 

Earlier, open bins were common in city and the same were positioned at prominent places. These bins were used the sanitation staff to dump the garbage collected from homes. Similarly, dry leaves, dumped plastic by the roadside and other materials post sweeping used to be stored in these bins. Many a time, citizens also used to empty their household garbage in these open bins. The civic agency would then empty these heavy bins in the pick up vans that carried the waste for processing to the Bhandewadi Dumping Yard. Due to open nature of these bins, though they were quite convenient over the period of time they became quite a nuisance as pictures that came across painted a negative image of civic body. Often one could see these bins overflowing, as citizens and many time remaining food also used to be dumped in these open bins. The policy was that NMC would empty these bins at fixed time period, yet soon after citizens line-up to fill up by dumping vast quantity of waste. Often those going past these bins were greeted with foul smell due to over bearing stench, as many a times the garbage would not get cleared. The gaps in the solid waste  management forced NMC to discontinue these as they went for bin free concept. Transfer station But post reviewing the current garbage collection system, NMC officials realised there is need for a local storage unit, as the Transfer Station concept is yet to take off as was planned earlier.

 

Two Transfer Stations are under construction but as it requires quite large places, they are quite technical in nature, the civic body officials went back to racking their brains to study the best practices in country and abroad for simple yet effective ways to store the solid waste in the localities. Similarly, the bins placed on stand that were place all over city proved to be costly affair for public exchequer as they got stolen. Hence now these fool proof dust bins placed underground are planned. Dr Mahalle said, these underground bins would be placed in 2x1.5 cubic meter dug-up feet or 6x7 feet. The bins dimension would be 1531x1796 mm with covers over them and made of stainless steel. NMC has specified that these bins would be equipped with 2 gas spring cylinders to raise and lower them as and when required. Same would be sealed with rubber seal to ensure underground system are water tight. Dr Mahalle also said, once the pick-up van arrives these bins would be raised from under ground and the content in them would be emptied. They are 1.5 to 3 mm thickness and they are placed atop a platform as same would ensure that post sweeping the garbage, mostly solid waste, is dumped in these bins.