RMC Gets QR Code System to Monitor Waste Collection

Rourkela: As part of its Advanced Waste Management System (AWMS) the Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) has introduced QR code-enabled door-to-door garbage collection system for improving door-to-door waste collection monitoring system and to overcome the challenges such as sanitation staff skipping houses and to strengthen its’ waste collection system including the cleanliness of Public & Community Toilets.
Rourkela Municipal Corporation is fully focusing on 100% collection of segregated household waste in order to process the same at its Micro Composting Centers (MCCs) and Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs). For this purpose BOVs and LCVs have been engaged; which daily reaches near the households and collects the garbage.

The Swachha Sathis, Sueprvisors and several NGOs of the city are also sensitizing the citizen to segregate the household waste into dry and wet and give it to the sanitation workers separately every day.

The awareness campaign has been carried out regarding using of coloured bins or separate dustbins for segregating the waste so that it will be easy for the waste collecting vehicles to collect the segregated waste from the households. Few residents and shopkeepers have been complaining about vehicles not turning up to collect waste in time. To overcome this, the Rourkela Municipal Corporation has proposed to fit a QR code enabled waste management system at households to alert the sanitation workers and vehicles and inform them about the households, which are not covered, said the Commissioner, Rourkela Municipal Corporation, Sj. Dibyajyoti Parida.

He also added that the RMC has introduced QR code enabled waste management system under its ambit, as it will monitor door-to-door segregation of garbage across the city. It will also strengthen our initiatives being taken for Swachh Survekshan too.

Individual households will be given a QR code tag, while apartments or flats will be clubbed as a single entity with a common QR code, he added.

The sanitation worker, who visit their respective wards, will scan the QR code with a cell phone through an mobile application, record the data, including quantum of collection, date and time of collection and household coverage. Every day, the system will generate data such as the number of houses covered and those failed to hand over waste and update the Control Room at RMC office for follow-up action, he said.

Initially, on a pilot basis ten thousand households and buildings including the Public & Community toilets will be covered and the enabling the system at the household level has already been started and is expected to be completed by the next week. The new technology-driven system will improve solid waste management in the city. It will ensure 100% waste collection. “After successful implementation of the pilot project, we will try to cover all the households and buildings in all the wards,” RMC Commissioner Sj. Dibyajyoti Parida said.

Not only this, The QR code tags fixed at the Community & Public Toilet will have a feedback system, by which the users of the toilets can rate their experiences about the cleanliness and effective management of the toilets.

Under this Advance Waste Management System, all RMC vehicles, including auto-tippers, BOVs etc. are equipped with GPS that helps the authorities to track their movement and evaluate the coverage of door-to-door garbage collection.

“If a worker fails to scan the QR code or collect garbage from any household, we will know it immediately,” Parida said, adding that the goal is to improve the waste collection system by keeping an vigil eye on the entire process from the source to the disposal point and address the shortcomings.