A new Bengaluru waste collection system covering 21 of the city’s 33 collection packages is expected to begin operations within two months, with larger GPS-enabled vehicles replacing existing auto-tippers and doorstep collection planned across all 28 assembly constituencies.
The Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) has received government approval for 21 packages, while the process of issuing work orders to contractors is under way. Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said contractors had been directed to commence operations within two months.
The proposed Bengaluru waste collection system is being planned around the city’s increased waste-handling capacity, which has risen from 5,200 metric tonnes to 9,000 metric tonnes, according to the minister. The new arrangement will replace the existing one-tonne auto-tippers with three-tonne vehicles equipped with GPS tracking.
Each vehicle will be assigned a designated route and required to follow it daily. Authorities will use GPS data to monitor whether the vehicles are covering their allotted routes, Byre Gowda said after a meeting with MPs, MLAs and MLCs on development and civic issues under the Greater Bengaluru Authority at Vidhana Soudha.
“The system is being designed to ensure that whatever quantity of waste is generated by citizens is properly collected and transported for disposal,” the minister said.
Under the proposed system, waste will be collected directly from every household. Residents who cannot hand over waste when the collection vehicle arrives will be allowed to leave a bag on their compound wall or grille, which collection staff will pick up, according to the minister’s statement.
The BSWML does not plan to bring back roadside garbage bins. Byre Gowda said such bins could lead to the creation of garbage black spots. He appealed to residents not to dump waste on roads or in public spaces and asked them to cooperate with the revised collection system.
The 33 tender packages cover all 28 assembly constituencies. The report did not specify the areas included in the 21 approved packages or provide the names of the contractors who are expected to receive work orders.
The waste collection announcement came during a wider meeting on civic infrastructure in Bengaluru. Elected representatives raised issues involving roads, footpaths, street lighting, parks, water supply and civic staffing. Demands included a white paper on expenditure on pothole repairs, improved restoration of roads dug up by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board, better maintenance of parks and action against illegal flexes and posters.
Representatives also sought faster progress on the Banashankari Metro skywalk, the Jalahalli Cross underpass and a stalled flyover project near RR Nagar Arch. Other issues raised included drone-based property surveys, stray dogs and illegal commercial activity in building basements.
Officials from various departments attended the meeting along with MPs, MLAs and MLCs. The next stated milestone for the waste collection overhaul is the issuing of work orders and the start of operations under the approved packages within two months.
