Through engagement
with the Government
This phase starts by data collection from the Municipal Corporation and other para-statal bodies to understand the City Baseline for rapid assessment. It focusses on understanding perception of the government officials from various departments involved in the sector; and captures the views of political representatives about the existing condition and proposed requirements of the city with respect to the chosen problem area.
Interactions with members of the core committee, Municipal & parastatal officials, political representatives- Honourable Mayor, Councillor of the study area are also the major component of this phase.
This section includes an overview of the information of city including its geographical area, population, socio economic features, basic landuse profile and institutional arrangement of the agencies involved in infrastructural development for the city. This information will help in understanding the city baseline.
It discusses the existing condition of the identified sector in the city in terms of infrastructure availability, on going schemes, usage of smart applications, etc. This information will help in making a rapid assessment of the sector for the city.
It discusses the level of service in the city to understand infrastructure gaps.
This section identifies the existing conditions and vision of the city under various probable aspects. These results would be integrated with the results of stakeholder analysis before arriving at recommendations.
Category | Priority (1-7) |
Existing scenario of the city | Where the city wants to be in next 5 years | Initiatives that will move the city in line with its vision |
---|---|---|---|---|
Household Coverage | 1 | The intentions of the Municipal Authority are to cover the entire city area in Door to Door waste collection but due to geographical and other hindrances like limited space for the waste collection vehicle, hilly terrain etc. the coverage under door to door waste collection is limited | Maximum coverage through Door to Door waste collection and involvement of all stakeholders in the waste collection system | Awareness through IEC activities, inclusion of modern vehicles, waste compactors to increase the capacity of waste depot. |
Efficiency of Waste Collection | 2 | Though the collection of waste is done smoothly in most parts of the city, but due to geographical and other hindrances at some parts of the city the waste collection efficiency is below 100%. | Improvement of the waste collection in the problamatic areas through different means like handkarts and all. | Awareness , use of modern vehicles, increading the coevrage through door to door waste colleciton. |
Complaint Redressal | 3 | The city has an effective online greviance system, telephonic system and app based system of complaint redressal for solid waste management. The complaints are addressed within stipulated time period. The city also has mobile applications for sending complains to the Municipal Corporation | Reduction of Complaints and further improving the complaint redressal time. | Reduction of Complaints and further improving the complaint redressal time. |
Segregation | 4 | There is no organised and scientifically planned segregation of MSW at household level or at community level. Sorting of waste is only done by the unorganised sector and hardly practised by the waste producers. Rag pickers delve into the collection of plastics, glass, paper and other recyclables from the community bins and the open dump sites and sell them to the scrap dealers in the city. | To implement the waste segregation at source level. | Promoting the segregation through the IEC activities, and pilot projects at ward level. |
Scientific Disposal | 5 | Most of the city waste is collected and disposed without segregation (mixed waste) in the open dumping ground. | Scientific disposal of waste by development of sanitary landfill site. | Development of sanitary landfill site. |
Waste Recovery | 6 | There is limited waste recovery and processing and the waste is dumped in the open sites without treatment. | Development of recycling and waste processing facility. | Collection of segregated source, material recovery facility and development of processing facility. |
Cost Recovery | 7 | Since there is no waste recovery in the city, hence cost recovery is also negligible | Implementation of different categories of User Fee chargeson Door to Door waste collection and revenue from the sale of compost, RDF and recovered material for recycling. | Implementation of different categories of User Fee chargeson Door to Door waste collection and revenue from the sale of compost, RDF and recovered material for recycling. |
Through engagement
with citizens
This phase initiates discussion about the perception of citizens. The respondents consulted here should include wide range of stakeholders to ensure inclusivity. The results from this section would help the Municipal bodies to identify the importance of various services to the people and also strategize their work.
Interactions were held with the residents of ward 60 along with scrap dealers, sweepers, door to door waste collection teams
6-7
Ragpicker
Though unorganised, but the rag pickers are an important part of the waste management chain.
5-6
Scrap Dealers
Deal with the waste recycling sector
5
D2D Waste
collection team
Help the municipal corporation for waste collection
39
Sweapers
Deal with waste collection from streets, drains etc.
15
Shop Keapers
Contribute to the waste generated in the ward
120
Hindu Household
In order to have inclusivity various communities have been surveyed as they have different food habits
65
Muslim Household
In order to have inclusivity various communities have been surveyed as they have different food habits
20-25
Other households
In order to have inclusivity various communities have been surveyed as they have different food habits
Analysis of the Primary survey highlighting general perceptions of the citizens and the issues associated with the sector are discussed in this section.
Rag Pickers
Though unorganised, but the rag pickers are an important part of the waste management chain.
As per the survey results, about 33% rag pickers are involved in the same work along with their families.
About half the percentage of workers fall sick every 3-4 months. None of them use any of kind of protective gears such as masks, gloves etc for their safety.
About 33% of the rag pickers feel the behavior of people towards them is rude and doubtful.
A significant number of the rag pickers don’t feel competition from others in their work and earn an amount of Rs. 400/ day.
Sweepers
It is observed that the daily income of sweepers is only Rs. 220. About 44% of them are also involved in other works.
Most of the sweepers (85%) are satisfied with the behavior of people towards them.
Burning of plastics in the area is strictly banned- with the efforts done by the Municipal Councilor.
Most of the sweepers (81%) do not use protective gears such as gloves, masks etc and 63% of them fall sick in six months.
Most of the sweepers (78%) face problems because of lack of equipment provided to them by the Municipal Corporation- ex- brooms etc
56% of the sweepers also have their families in the same profession.
Households
As per the survey results, about 39% of the households are residing in the ward since more than 10 years and about 37% since last 5 years and 90% of the surveyed families own the houses in the ward.
Maximum percentage of households have private jobs (47%) as their source of income followed by contractual and labour works (27%)
More than half the percentage of surveyed households are non vegetarians.
About 57% of the surveyed households still use polythene bags, though 99% agree that cloth bags can easily replace polythene bags.
Almost all people are of the view that they are able to approach the ward councilor easily who updates them about the status of on going and news works.
Commercial Areas
As per the survey results, about 46% of the shops in the wards are existing from more than 1 year but less than 5 years.
Most of the shops in the ward open at 8:00 AM and shut down around 10:00 PM as maximum percentage of shops deal with eating business.
A significant percentage of shopkeepers believe that a strengthened solid waste management system is required for controlling the adverse impact of solid waste on the water bodies in Ajmer.
D2D Waste collection team
Most of the members of the team (83%) do not face any health issue due to their continuous involvement in SWM sector. They also feel that the attitude of people towards them is good.
About 40% of the members fall sick once a year and remaining 60% fall sick once in 6 months.
Scrap Dealers
The daily income of scrap dealer is less than Rs. 500/ day and no body in their team use safety equipment like masks, gloves etc to handle solid waste.
Rag Pickers
It is observed that about 67% rag pickers have been involved in the collection of scrap from more than 5 years.
A significant percentage i.e. 83% of the rag pickers visit the waste depots daily for collecting waste, only 17% of them get the waste directly from the people.
Waste depot at Mittal hospital is the major depot from where they get maximum waste and are able to collect 20 kg waste per day.
There are instances where the rag pickers are also able to find bio medical waste mixed with the municipal waste.
Scrap Dealers
It is observed from the survey that about 50% of the scrap dealers have been in the same business since more than 10 years.
More than half the percentage (67%) of scrap dealers have 2-5 team members in the business but none of them are involved in rag picking for waste collection.
They receive maximum percentage of waste i.e. between 50 to 100 kg from door to door waste collection team twice a week.
About 50% of the scrap dealers receive waste from within 5 km distance.
Sweepers
It is observed that about 44% of the sweepers are involved in sweeping between 1-5 years.
The work area is fixed for about 67% of the sweepers and more than half of the percentage (52%) of the sweepers work for about 4-5 hours per day, while 30% work for 5-6 hours and about 18% sweepers also work for more than 6 hours.
About 81% of the sweepers dump their waste near containers, 11% make a heap in the open, while some also dump in the drain.
D2D Waste collection team
It is observed that about 50% of the door to door waste collection team members work for about 5-6 hours in the ward and 33% work for more than 6 hours.
As per the survey, in case the labour is on leave then 67% of the drivers proceed for waste collection without the labour.
In case the audio system is not working about 67% of the drivers use whistles and 33% ring the door bells to collect waste from households.
Most of the labourers (67%) are working since less than a year in the team.
All the vehicles are stopped between 3-4 houses to collect the waste and all the vehicles take two rounds upto the depot to dump the waste daily.
About 33% DTD waste collection team members face issues due to non functioning of vehicles
DTD team also receives scrap directly from the people while collecting the waste.
It is observed that the sweepers cover an area of about 200-300 meters daily and the door to door waste collection team covers more than 200 houses daily.
Households
It is observed from the survey that about 79% of the households give their waste to door to door collection team, 17% dump in the municipal bins, few throw in the open drains and about 1% households burn the waste.
About 74% of the households feel that the waste thrown in open is collected by the sweeper in a day.
78% of the households are of the view that the DTD waste collection vehicle comes daily, and about 70% of them do not face any problem related to waste management. While 12% households face problem because of inappropriate timings of the vehicle and 6% households feel that the vehicle does not stops at proper place for waste collection.
About 50% of the households face problem because of the waste dumped on the streets, drains etc because it blocks the drains, causes foul smell, health issues etc.
Commercial Areas
It is observed that incase the DTD waste collection team does not comes for waste collection, then 67% of the households keep the waste in their premises till the next day and 33% households throw it in the open.
Rag Pickers
D2D waste collection team
Households
Rag Pickers
D2D waste collection team
Households
The city lacks baseline as well as detailed information on solid waste management; hence there is a need for the city to compile its documentation. Ajmer Municipal Corporation should leverage the resources from the PMC Smart City for developing and strengthening its data base. The detailed documentation of solid waste management will help the city to prepare the plans in a better way.
Training programs may be organised for the different groups of the Municipal Corporation under Solid Waste management. The types of capacity building programmes which may be organised for different groups are as under
Sl. No. | Target Groups | Type of Capacity Programs |
---|---|---|
1 | Elected Representatives Group 1 (Mayor/Chairman, Dy Mayor/Vice Chairman) |
|
2 | Elected Representatives Group | General Orientation on Solid Waste Management |
3 | Senior Officers ( Engineer/s, Division Heads) |
|
4 | Field Workers |
|
5 | Transportation Staff |
|
6 | NGOs/CBOs/Residents’ Associations | Role of NGOs in SWM |
7 | Waste generators | Importance of Segregation and Storage through IEC |
Taking leverage from the Smart City Proposal for Ajmer, the Municipal Corporation should adopt innovative technology for the following Waste segregation and reduction at source
Municipal Corporation should launch projects on pilot basis in the city which may be replicated to other parts if found interesting and successful. Following steps/ strategies should be adopted by the Municipal Corporation to tackle the solid waste in the city.
Submit your city data & get listed.
Note:- mail to iclei-southasia@iclei.org