The civic body has given the contract of collecting garbage in Gomti Nagar area to Horizon, an NGO. The scheme also provides employment to ragpickers, hired by the NGO for collecting the waste. The garbage is later divided into bio-degradable and non bio-degradable waste. While the bio-degradable is sent for composting, items like plastics are sent for recycling. The remaining waste is dumped at the garbage ground.

“Nearly 60 per cent of the garbage collected from households consists of bio-degradable items and the rest comprises recyclable and waste material,” said Pankaj Singh, president of Horizon. An awareness drive on waste management will be undertaken next week in the area with the help of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs).

“We decided to launch the scheme in Vipul Khand as it is a developed area. By March, we aim to extend it to the entire Gomti Nagar area. From Thursday, we will provide the ragpickers with uniforms and gunny sacks for keeping segregated garbage,” said Singh.

RWAs feel the scheme can ensure better management of garbage. Bhoj Raj, President of Vipul Khand Kalyan Samiti, said, “We will extend every possible help for its success.”