Bengaluru corporations seek control of waste collection from BSWML

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Garbage dumped at Govindarajanagar in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN

As Bengaluru’s garbage crisis deepens, the newly formed city corporation commissioners have demanded that powers related to waste collection and maintenance be transferred to them from the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML).

A senior official from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) told The Hindu that a proposal has been prepared, and the transfer is likely to take place once the tenders for waste collection are finalised. However, BSWML will continue to oversee waste processing operations.

Under the current system, BSWML handles the entire chain of waste management, from door-to-door collection to waste processing. The city corporations are responsible for identifying and regularly clearing black spots. To facilitate coordination between the two bodies, BSWML can appoint an assistant general manager. However, since the formation of the new corporations, commissioners have opposed the arrangement, citing mismanagement.

“In a GBA meeting held two months ago, the corporations expressed dissatisfaction over coordination issues in waste management, which they said were contributing to the rise in black spots. They emphasised that without full control, addressing garbage-related issues becomes difficult,” the GBA source told The Hindu.

Following these discussions, the GBA decided that an MoU would be signed between BSWML and the civic bodies. Under the proposed arrangement, the civic bodies will oversee all on-ground operations, including door-to-door waste collection, while BSWML will continue to manage waste processing.

A city corporation commissioner explained that the garbage crisis is linked to multiple factors, including black spots, auto-tippers, staffing, and collection timings, among others.

“When these aspects are overseen by different entities, there is very little scope for conducting meaningful on-ground assessments. It is impossible to solve the city’s garbage problem