A new Bengaluru waste collection system covering all 28 assembly constituencies is expected to begin within two months, with larger GPS-enabled vehicles replacing existing auto-tippers and household waste collection planned at residents’ doorsteps.
The Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) is preparing to award contracts for 21 of the city’s 33 waste-management packages after receiving government approval for those packages. The process of issuing work orders to contractors is under way, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said after a meeting with elected representatives and senior officials at Vidhana Soudha on Friday.
“Tenders for 33 packages covering all 28 assembly constituencies were called, of which 21 have received approval of the government,” Byre Gowda said. Contractors for the approved packages have been directed to commence operations within two months, he said.
Under the proposed system, one-tonne auto-tippers currently used for collection will be replaced by three-tonne vehicles equipped with GPS. Each vehicle will be assigned a designated route and will be required to follow it daily. The GPS system is intended to allow authorities to monitor whether vehicles are covering their assigned routes.
The redesign takes into account an increase in Bengaluru’s waste-handling capacity from 5,200 metric tonnes to 9,000 metric tonnes, according to the minister. Byre Gowda said the system was being designed to ensure that the quantity of waste generated by residents was collected and transported for disposal.
The proposed arrangement will not bring back garbage bins along roadsides, the minister said. Authorities have previously associated roadside bins with the creation of garbage black spots. Instead, waste is to be collected from individual households.
Residents who cannot hand over waste when a collection vehicle arrives will be allowed to leave a waste bag on their compound wall or grille for collection staff, Byre Gowda said. He appealed to citizens not to dump waste on roads or in public spaces and asked them to cooperate with the new collection system.
The announcement came during a meeting convened under the Greater Bengaluru Authority to discuss civic and infrastructure issues. Elected representatives also raised concerns about roads, footpaths, street lighting, parks, water supply, civic-worker vacancies and the maintenance of GBA-run schools.
Other issues discussed included the restoration of roads dug up for Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board works, expenditure on pothole filling, illegal flexes and posters, and the condition of public parks. Representatives also sought action on illegal commercial activity in building basements, the stray dog problem and the drone-based property survey.
The meeting also covered several infrastructure proposals, including the Banashankari Metro skywalk, the Jalahalli Cross underpass and a stalled flyover project near RR Nagar Arch. MPs, MLAs, a Rajya Sabha member and senior officials from various departments attended the meeting.
The immediate milestone for the waste-management overhaul is the issuance of work orders for the approved packages, followed by the start of operations within the two-month timeframe set by the government.
