Odd timings have ruined waste collection efforts

A new scheme in Mangalore, which states that there will be a door-to-door collection of solid waste, has so far been relatively unsuccessful.

Indeed, there have been a number of complaints to the Mangalore City Corporation about the collection, as, owing to specific pick up times, lots of people have missed their collection time.

Although the scheme started only 25 days ago, people have already began disputing the efficiency of it.

In certain areas, the waste collection team come when people are at work.

Kodical, for example, has a pick up time of around noon, the Hindu reports.

"By that time none of us are at home. How does one hand over the waste to them (at that time)?" asked Arun Kumar, an employee of an oil marketing company. "Why can’t they come before 9am?"

According to Mr Kumar, the waste collection should be done in the morning, when people have not yet gone to work. He believes that this would be the most convenient way to run door-to-door collection.

Joint commissioner Srikant Rao told The Hindu that the civic body had received 18 complaints about the new system, all of which stated that the waste had not been picked up from their doorstep.

According to Mr Rao, the corporation will now take steps to ensure that the rubbish is picked up either in the early mornings or in the evenings, when people aren't at work.

Jayaram of Gorigudda told the Hindu that solid waste in his residential area was picked up at 3pm, while Nemu Kottari of Jeppu said solid waste was not being collected from doorsteps in Jeppu area and so he was dumping it in the corporation bin.

"A random check revealed that the door-to-door collection of solid waste drive started by the civic body on December 12, 2012, was yet to become a reality in all wards and it was yet to spread to all areas within many wards where it started," the Hindu stated.