The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagra Palike’s failure to award new garbage tenders earlier this year has only ensured that the current lot of garbage collectors are still being paid by the civic body on the archaic measure of quantum of garbage collected. This measure for payment continues to sabotage attempts to instil segregation at source.
What’s more, it deters the enforcement of separate collection systems and contracts for residential households and bulk generators such as hotels. Most contractors prefer to collect waste from both residents and commercial establishments as this will only increase the quantum of garbage collected.
This was one of the issues taken up by the Indiranagar Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA), led by Sneha Nandihal.
They were campaigning for BBMP-empanelled vendors to collect bulk garbage generated by commercial eateries in the area and do away with the current system of handing it over to the local contractor. The incident of dumping of garbage in Ms. Nandilal’s compound was a backlash to this campaign, claim Indiranagar residents.
Clashes between contractors and residents regularly play out in different neighbourhoods across Bengaluru. The implementation of the rule that bulk generators should give waste to only empanelled vendors, is a distant dream, concede BBMP officials themselves.
Core city zones
“The rule is probably being followed in only half measures and is flouted more in the core city zones. The same contractor has sub-contracted garbage collection from bulk generators to another firm only on paper. However, the same vehicles are being used and cases of dual billing too have come to light. We are trying to streamline the system and will call for new tenders for bulk generators soon,” said Sarfaraz Khan, Joint Commissioner, SWM, BBMP.
We are trying to streamline the system and
will call for new tenders for bulk generators soon.
Sarfaraz Khan,
Joint Commissioner, SWM, BBMP