Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 24 April 2023
On 23rd February 2022, Bharatiya Janata Party, Andaman and Nicobar Islands released its manifesto for the Panchayat and Municipal Elections 2022.
One of the promises made in the manifesto was to install new dustbins in all wards and to reconstruct the old dustbins in public places.
In many residential colonies, the sight of garbage lying beside the road has become very common ever since the dustbins were removed and door-to-door garbage collection was implemented.
The problem with door-to-door garbage collection is not very complex to understand. Not everyone is available at home or is awake by the time the staff visits the residential areas faintly whistling to collect garbage from the households.
It becomes impossible for many people to hand over the garbage to the staff of PBMC and ultimately the garbage ends up beside roads, and in many areas where the old dustbins were once located.
The solution to keep the city clean is to install colour-coded dustbins and educate people to throw their segregated garbage in the right bin. Removing dustbins completely from all areas can never be a solution, it only makes the city dirtier and filthy.
BJP seemed to have identified the problem of the residents and had promised to install new dustbins and reconstruct old dustbins in their manifesto. The question is whether BJP will keep its poll promise or continue implementing solutions which do not work.