BBMP departments can no longer say ‘not my waste’

Circular assigns responsibilities for street cleaning to various departments

Will a coordinated effort among different departments in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and other agencies help make city’s roads cleaner?

More often than not, dry leaves, mixed waste, parts of vehicles involved in accidents, construction debris, and even dust are simply dumped by the side of roads as each agency or civic department passes the buck. This is not only unaesthetic but also unhygienic, and obstructs movement of pedestrians and vehicles.

To ensure that the city roads, including major arterial ones and ward roads, are cleaned periodically, the civic body has issued a directive on which department is responsible for proper collection and disposal of materials most often found on the roads.

Until now, six departments of the BBMP were each absolving themselves of the responsibility to clear the discarded materials. The new circular — issued by BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad following directions of Chief Secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar — provides clarity, which was earlier lacking on which department is responsible for road waste, said officials.

Senior civic officials said the issue was discussed during the coordination committee meeting chaired by Mr. Bhaskar on April 23. Six departments — Road Infrastructure, Solid Waste Management, Public Health, Forest Cell, OFC cell, and Revenue — will now have to coordinate with each other to ensure that the city’s roads are maintained aesthetically.

These departments will also have to coordinate with other agencies, including Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom), Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), and the police.

Citizens, however, remain sceptical over its efficacy. “Defining the responsibilities for street cleaning within various BBMP departments is a significant first step. Now the residents can talk to those specific department officers. However, what we really want [to know] is whether the Solid Waste Management Department will take full ownership for street cleaning. That way, residents need to approach just one officer if the road has to be cleaned up,” said Clement Jayakumar from Doddanekundi Rising.