BENGALURU: Karnataka, which is grappling with a garbage glut, has mooted 3R Environmental Parks for the 219 urban local bodies, including Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Based on the three principles of reduce, reuse and recycle, these 3R Environmental Parks will be developed and operated on the lines of the software parks that dot Bengaluru and other parts of the state. An order to this effect was issued last week by the department of forest, environment and ecology and the government is expected to make a formal announcement soon.

"These parks will offer integrated solutions for all municipal solid waste (garbage) disposal problems," a senior IAS officer told TOI. At present, around 8,700 tonnes of garbage are generated in the state every day: while BBMP generates 3,500 tons per day , the remaining 218 urban local bodies churn out about 5,200 tonnes daily. The situation will only worsen in the coming years as population growth projections for 2032 predict a three-fold increase in waste generation from the present level.

In fact, the urban local bodies are already finding it difficult to handle garbage because of insufficient infrastructure and obsolete technology . "Moreover, resistance has been mounting from locals against setting up of solid waste processing units in their areas. It was in this backdrop that the 3R parks were mooted; these will house all private and public waste processing units with all environmental safeguards in place. These parks will be in tune with the Solid Waste Management Rules 2011, notified by the Centre," the officer added.

To start with, 10 such parks will be set up on 100-acre plots each. While three such parks will be developed around Bengaluru (beyond 10km radius) the remaining seven will be established in other city municipal councils. The waste-to-energy plant proposed by Karnataka Power Corporation Limited at Bidadi will be converted into a 3R Environmental Park by acquiring an additional 25 acres of land.

These parks will be developed by the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) and maintained by Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB). Wherever government land isn't available, the authorities are entitled to acquire private land for these projects. The government will extend financial concessions to waste processing units as per the Swachh Bharat Mission. This apart, 4(g) exemption under the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTTP) Act 1999 will be given to waste-to-energy units with handling capacity of 100 tonnes per day and established under a PPP model.

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