Soon, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) may be spending less for solid waste management. The financially starved civic body spends around Rs. 400 crore on solid waste management.
BBMP’s Special Commissioner K.R. Niranjan said that the contractors who participated in the new garbage tenders had quoted up to 40 per cent less.
Tenders
“This will help decrease BBMP’s spending on solid waste management. The new garbage tenders were opened recently and they will be placed before the Standing Committee for Health for approval, following which it will come before the BBMP Council,” he said.
He said that with the relaxation of terms and conditions in the new garbage tenders, the new contractors were able to participate, thus breaking the hold of the previous contractors.
Meeting
This issue was discussed during the BBMP Council meeting recently and councillors had sought relaxation in terms and conditions to ensure that the “garbage mafia” did not get to participate in the new tenders.
About the irregular clearance of garbage, especially from apartments, Mr. Niranjan said the old contractors, who knew they were on their way out, probably were disinterested in segregation and clearing garbage from bulk generators, especially apartment complexes with more than 10 units, in the city. “When the new contracts come into effect, things will be different. Segregation at source is slowly gaining momentum as well,” he said.
The BBMP had given Hanjeer Biotech Energy Pvt. Ltd. the work order for the scientific disposal (segregation and composting) of 750 tonnes of municipal waste a day.
The company will set up two units, one at Subbarayanapalya and the other at Mandur.
“The company will be segregating garbage on a private land and then transporting wet waste to sites in Subbarayanapalya or Mandur,” he said.
Work order
He said that work order had been given to Ashok Biogreen to set up 12 bio-methanisation plants in the city.
The company had, in turn, submitted a letter of acceptance to the BBMP.
Talks with another company, Melhem Engineers, were in the final stages for setting up four more plants.
He added that the BBMP had entrusted the construction of 20 dry waste collection centres to the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd.
“As many as 20 have been set up,” he said.
About the opposition in a few areas regarding setting up of these centres, he said that citizens need not be apprehensive, as these centres are only going to store dry waste.
He said that the BBMP pays Rs. 10 for a kg of plastic to pourakarmikas.
It has also signed a memorandum of understanding with K.K. Plastic and the civic body will be paying Rs. 24 a kg.
“This plastic will be used to lay roads, and a circular making the use of plastic mandatory for asphalting has been issued by Commissioner,” he said.
Garbage clearance
Mr. Niranjan conceded that there is backlog garbage in the city that has not been cleared owing to resistance from the communities near Terra Firma and the Karnataka bandh on Saturday.
“We are in talks with the community near Terra Firma and are confident that dumping will be resumed soon. Within a couple of days, the backlog garbage will be cleared completely,” he added.
