Thursday, September 28, 2017

Solid Waste

Dear Mr. K J George,
MLA- Sarvagna Nagar, Minister for Bengaluru Development and State Town Planning Gov't. of Karnataka.

It was great to hear you speak yesterday about our Solid Waste Management issues. Hope you will come out with soon with dates and have regular updates about city wide activities.

* Look forward to seeing all our pourakarmikas on government rolls.
* A good attendance system over looked by good BBMP officers so they are pourakarmikas fairly and on time every time. I work for a salary, and in 1999 when my then company was late paying us, we were tired of working in 3 days! Am glad these people have more patience and continue cleaning up our mess.
* I hope to see your personally going to a few chosen people's homes in Blr who have been composting for more than a year and taking pictures and video with them (with press coverage). We need regular reminders and pats on the backs for these people. If more people see what they are doing, living in small indpendant homes and flats, they might start the same to?
* Also look forward to reading about BBMP officers and police officers taking part in koint drives every week. We have to keep the tempo up. We need reports on hours spent on field and how many people checked, besides what violations made.
* Look forward to Vidhan Soudha to shun plastic bottles in favour of steel glasses and jugs. Steel looks good. Though plastic is fine too if ministers are fine with it. But should be reused for a few months at lesat.
Better than the small plastic bottles that are not banned but still are solid waste that can be avoided.

Thank you for taking time to address us. Looking forward to regular meetings like this every 2 months at least. Need to make course corrections, thank volunteers.

Thank-you

Jai Karnataka, Jai Hind.


A timeless story on conservation and reuse:
A disciple of Buddha, said, "Oh Master! I have a request to make."

Buddha: "What is it; tell me?"

Disciple: "My robe is worn out. It is no longer decent enough to wear.Please, may I have a new one?"

Buddha looked at the disciple's attire and found that the garment was absolutely in tatters and really needed replacement. So he asked the store-keeper to give a new robe to this disciple.

The disciple offered obeisance to the great master and left the room.

Buddha kept thinking about the incident and felt that he had perhaps missed an opportunity to teach a valuable lesson to the disciple. So he went to the disciple's quarters to talk to him.

Buddha: Are you comfortable in your new robe? Do you need anything else?

Disciple: Thank you Master. I am very comfortable and do not need anything else.

Buddha: Now that you have a new one, what have you done with the old one?

Disciple: I have used it to replace my worn out bedspread.

Buddha: What did you do with the old bedspread?

Disciple: Master, I am using it as a curtain on my window.

Buddha: Did you discard your old window curtain?

Disciple: Master, I tore it into four pieces and am using them as napkins to handle the hot pots and pans in the kitchen.

Buddha: What about the old kitchen napkins?

Disciple: We are using them as mops to wash and wipe the floor.

Buddha: Where is the old mop?

Disciple: Lord, the old mop was so tattered that the best we could do was to take all the threads apart and make wicks for your oil lamp. One of them is presently lit in your room."

Buddha was content. He was happy that His disciples realized that nothing is useless. We can find a use for everything, if only we want to! Nothing should be wasted; not even time!

If all of us were to practice the habit of thrift, we can preserve the non renewable resources for our children, our grandchildren and our great grand children as our forefathers so thoughtfully did for us.

Let us vow together to leave at least one monument for our children: The Earth!

The real measure of a man's wealth is what he has invested in eternity.

In today's world we need to compost food waste. So we produce less wet waste that has to be handled by our local villages that are already reeling under the stink and health risks. Even if you do not have space to compost 100% of food waste, separate it from other waste and do a part of it. Rest give in separate bins.

Regards
Tushar Kapila