Ideally, councillors should be distributing blue and green dustbins to create maximum awareness about waste se... Read More

AHMEDABAD: With election to come this year, even the dustbins have taken a saffron hue even though municipal solid waste management rules advocate the use for blue and green colours for dustbins to enable waste segregation — blue for dry waste, green for wet.

BJP councillors of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation , which has recently committed to making segregation of household waste mandatory at source in the next two months, on June 5 were busy distributing saffron coloured dustbins in Khadia, Naroda and Odhav areas. As saffron is widely associated with the BJP, the dustbins being distributed aim to make a connect with the people ahead of the assembly elections.

Ideally, councillors should be distributing blue and green dustbins to create maximum awareness about waste segregation at source, to check the ballooning garbage mountain at Pirana. The city generates 4,200 metric tonnes of waste every day.

Khadia MLA, Bhushan Bhatt, who distributed the saffron dustbins, claimed that that he had ordered the saffron coloured bins much before the municipal waste rules were notified by the state.

“I had ordered 5,000 dustbins of saffron colour, which is identified with the BJP, much before the waste segregation rules were notified. I still have around 300 saffron dustbins. Once these are exhausted, I will order blue and green ones,” Bhatt said.

Chairman of the AMC standing committee, Pravin Patel, was in agreement that the civic body ought to be distributing blue and green dustbins to promote waste segregation. “We will make it mandatory to distribute dustbins in blue and green colours only,” said Patel.

Mayor Gautam Shah said he had got news that saffron dustbins were being distributed. “Once I am back, I will pass strict orders that only blue and green dustbins be distributed from the AMC’s budget.”

