Irregular collection of garbage leads to proliferation of blackspots in Bengaluru

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An excavator deployed to clear accumulated garbage at a longstanding black spot on Goripalya Main Road in Bengaluru, highlighting the city’s persistent waste management challenges. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

Persistent irregular garbage collection and the daily delay in tipper arrivals have worsened Bengaluru city’s black spot problem, now compounded by the onset of the monsoon, leaving residents in misery.

Visibly, black spots that were cleared earlier are reappearing, drawing public anger. Adding to the concern, new black spots have emerged in several residential localities, making it difficult for people to walk on the streets. The NammaKasa portal, which tracks blackspots in the city, reported 5,445 active blackspots on Sunday (June 7); just a month earlier, the number stood at 3,200.

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In several parts of the city, waste collection has been irregular for months. Karunakar Bhat, a resident of Marathahalli, said that for the last two to three months, waste collection tippers have been arriving only two or three times a week, leading to a pile-up of garbage at homes. “Not everyone will dispose of waste on the streets and wait for auto-tippers; the authorities should understand. Wet waste, especially, is a concern. The mosquito problem is growing because of this,” Mr. Bhat said.

The issue is not isolated to East Bengaluru but has become common across the city, especially in outer zones, according to residents who spoke to The Hindu. In many areas, garbage collectors have been picking up waste on alternate days or, in many cases, only a few times a week. They often do not collect sanitary waste separately as well.

Clement Jayakumar, a member of the Mahadevapura Task Force, a civic group, pointed out that the major concern is garbage piling up near stormwater drains and lake fringes. “Heaps of garbage are reaching dr