Online waste tracking system soon

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/Online-waste-...

TNN | May 1, 2016, 07.36 AM IST

Thiruvananthapuram: In a bid to bolster decentralized waste management, the corporation will introduce a management information system (MIS) to monitor processing of garbage in city households. To be implemented with the support of Thanal, an NGO and I Got Garbage (IGG), part of Mindtree Ltd, a Bengaluru-based IT company, the project intends to promote composting and responsible waste disposal.

IGG team has developed a cloud-based IT platform that enables tracking of waste collection, segregation and flow of waste from households. The project envisages to provide waste collectors smartphones to garner data on amount and type of garbage generated in each household and how it is processed. A supervisor, who will be in charge of 2-3 wards under the corporation, will track the activities everyday via online. A coordinator will be deployed to integrate the activities.
The technology also enables optimization of resources through features such as GPS tracking, geo-fencing and waste audit along with maintenance of user data. The platform has been running successfully in Bengaluru by providing entrepreneurial opportunities for waste pickers in the city.

The pilot project will take place in Chacka and Vanchiyoor, covering close to 4,000 households. "The pilot run will be carried out for a period of 6 months during which the NGO and the company would work closely to streamline operations and build competence locally," said Karan Rai Bahadur, head of the outreach, (IGG).

''At present we have no data on waste management. This technology will help us manage information on waste and devise solutions in future as well," said Shibu Nair, who is associated with Thanal. After six months, the project will be implemented across all wards enabling the local body to assess all waste- related data like amount of plastic generated under various categories, recycling data, number of households that are into composting and invoices generated for citizens.

A ticket tracking system will also be incorporated, through which a residents can lodge complaints. A ticket will be generated once a complaint is registered and the supervisor will pass on the ticket to waste collectors, who will in turn address the issue.

The application will be provided free of cost to the NGO. "I Got Garbage is part of Mindtree's corporate social responsibility initiative and we aim at creating scalable business models for independent entrepreneurs thereby enabling an inclusive social impact," said Rai Bahadur. The technical team will arrive in the city for to visit households ahead of initiating the pilot run on May 3. Mindtree was earlier the development partner of Aadhaar (UIDAI) project.