Today persons with disability supported by Community Management Committee, CFAR and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation showed that waste collection is not only about provisioning vehicles but also about sensitizing the service provider to the challenges faced by persons with disabilities and their caregivers
Bureau,Odishabarta
Bhubaneswar, 2 April, 2022: Together with Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), community platforms such as Community Management Committee and Single Window Forum and in particular representatives from persons with disabilities (PwD) and CFAR initiated an affirmative action to make waste collection and management more disability inclusive. In three wards, 57, 63 and 21 signboards were set up in areas where disabled reside and stickers were pasted on the door to ensure that all waste collection vehicles support these household in collecting waste .
Speaking about the initiative, Shri Suvendu Kumar Sahoo, Deputy Commissioner- Sanitation, BMC urged the “residents to not store waste in their houses or dispose it unsafely outside.” He went on to add that “BMC workers will collect it from all houses. The vehicle will wait for a longer time outside the houses with persons with disabilities.”
Affirming this, Pramila Mohapatra, PwD resident from Tapoban stated “I used to face a lot of problem as a disabled person in handing over waste. Now with the pasting of sticker outside my home the sanitary worker will wait for us to empty our waste. With the support of BMC, Community Management Committee, CFAR we are hopeful of better services.”
Reinforcing this, Jyotsnarani Sahoo, Caregiver, ward 21 said that she has a son with orthopedic impairment and found it difficult to dispose of her household waste. She stated, “BMC vehicles would neither come on time nor wait long enough. This created a lot of distress for me as I cannot run out instantly leaving my son behind. The move to indicate our homes with stickers came out of our collective effort. It gives me a sense of hope that if we all come together to change things we can succeed.”
The newly elected Corporator, Pooja Behera from ward 21 said, “I welcome this move of ensuring that all households in particular those where disabled persons live get the service they are entitled to. By marking these homes with stickers, we can provide service in a dignified manner.”
“The homes where persons with disabilities live and often located in interior lanes could not segregate or give out waste. Now with stickers outside their homes, they cannot be ignored and if it happens we will file complaints through our community leaders”, said Sushant Rout, PwD resident from ward-21.
Encouraged by the participation and commitment of the community, Sri Mahendra Kumar Badhei
, Zonal Deputy Commissioners directed all officials to track and strengthen inclusion of persons with disabilities in the process of waste collection and segregation.
This initiative is a part of CFAR’s water, sanitation and hygiene intervention in 67 wards of Bhubaneswar as part of the Water for Women Fund, Australian Government
