Bengaluru’s garbage crisis in Shettihalli Ward 12 has triggered a Lokayukta-directed cleanup, with civic authorities clearing 80 tonnes of accumulated waste in a single day after complaints from residents and an inspection of the affected areas.
The waste had built up at several locations in the ward, particularly in and around Kammagondanahalli, officials said. Karnataka Lokayukta Justice B S Patil directed the Lokayukta police to inspect the area after receiving complaints and grievances about the sanitation conditions.
The inspection report, which included photographs of the accumulated garbage, was submitted to the Lokayukta. Justice Patil subsequently instructed officials from the Bengaluru North City Corporation and Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited to take action.
An intensive cleaning operation was launched on Saturday. The existing waste contractor’s contract was terminated and a replacement contractor was appointed, according to a statement. The new contractor deployed two compactors, four tippers and a JCB to remove the accumulated waste from the ward.
The operation cleared about 80 tonnes of garbage in one day, providing immediate relief to residents, the statement said. The intervention places the responsibility for regular waste clearance on the civic agencies and the replacement contractor following the reported failure of the earlier arrangement.
The Lokayukta has emphasised that garbage clearance in the ward must be regular and systematic, rather than limited to a one-time operation after complaints. The authority also directed the concerned civic bodies to maintain sanitation and hygiene so that similar accumulation does not recur and residents are not inconvenienced.
The action highlights the role of complaint-based oversight in addressing gaps in municipal solid-waste services. In this case, the sequence involved resident grievances, a Lokayukta police inspection, photographic documentation, instructions to civic authorities and a change in the waste contractor.
The immediate next step is for the Bengaluru North City Corporation and Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited, along with the replacement contractor, to ensure continued waste collection and clearance in Shettihalli Ward 12. The Lokayukta’s direction calls for the ward’s sanitation conditions to be maintained through regular operations.
