Bhubaneswar, Ap 8: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has established a robust waste management system, particularly aimed at serving the city’s middle-class population, earning a unique position in the country. Not only has Bhubaneswar gained recognition as a model city, but other municipal corporations are also studying it as a “training hub” for waste management practices. As a result, officials, employees, public representatives, and volunteers from several states are visiting BMC to learn about its systems.
On Tuesday, a 16-member delegation from various autonomous bodies in Karnataka visited Bhubaneswar to observe BMC’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF), Municipal Solid Waste Collection (MSCC), and other processes. The delegation gained insights into waste collection from commercial areas, household segregation, processing, and the transformation of waste into valuable resources. They also examined data collection methods and operational procedures for handling hazardous waste, and were impressed by BMC’s 150-metric-ton-capacity state-of-the-art MRF at Palasuni.
The delegation learned how BMC addresses complaints and resolves problems efficiently, and were particularly impressed by the “Bhubaneswar Safa App” and the city’s command control room.
Representatives from Chikkaballapur CMC, Chintamani CMC, Sidlaghatta CMC, Gauribidanur CMC, the District Urban Development Cell, and various town panchayats in Karnataka participated in the visit. At BMC headquarters, they met Additional Commissioner Kailash Chandra Das to discuss various aspects of urban waste management, and were presented with BMC’s commemorative coffee table book.
The delegation also received training at the Odisha Urban Academy. Additional Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, Shubhendu Kumar Sahu, provided detailed guidance, while BMC Deputy Commissioner N. Ganesh Babu led site visits and demonstrations of BMC’s waste management processes. Key participants included Niharika Muduli, Secretary of Odisha Urban Academy, Dr. Sushai Kepin, consultant, Achyut Vijayanand, WATCO engineer, and Narendra Swain, UR operator.
