Less than 10 contractors have started work under new garbage tenders

BBMP has threatened to cancel orders of those who fail to begin work by Sept. 30

A file photo of pourakarmikas collecting garbage in Bengaluru

It was in early August that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) started issuing work orders under the new garbage tenders to contractors, and the council also cleared tenders that were pending for well over a year, fearing contempt from the High Court of Karnataka.

More than a month later, less than 10 contractors who were issued work orders have actually started work on field. With time running out, the civic body has now threatened to cancel the work orders of contractors who fail to begin work by September 30.

According to information available, separate collection and transportation of different streams of waste, as envisaged in the garbage tenders, has started in eight wards — Vidyaranyapura, Hoodi, Govindarajanagar, Gali Anjaneya Temple, Deepanjalinagar, Byrasandra, Mangammanapalya, and Singasandra. The contractors have completed demonstration in 11 wards — Kempegowda, Chowdeshwari, Atturu, T. Dasarahalli, Chokkasandra, K.R. Puram, Garudacharpalya, Lakkasandra, Adugodi, Hosakerehalli, and Yediyur.

BBMP’s Special Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) D. Randeep told

The Hindu that the work orders were issued after signing agreements from August 6 onwards to 38 contractors. Of these, work has started in eight wards and it is likely to start soon in another 11. “We had given the contractors one month to be ready to begin operations in the respective wards. We have given them more than one month’s time. If the contractors fail to begin work by end of the month, we will cancel the work orders and float fresh tenders for those wards,” he said.

Meanwhile, after the BBMP council had cleared tenders for nearly 150 wards, the civic body signed the letter of acceptance to 74 contractors. With this, tenders are in place for 112 wards, as some tenders have to still be re-evaluated, while those pertaining to 30 wards are being heard in the High Court.

Mr. Randeep said the 74 contractors had been asked to now submit bank guarantee. “We usually give 15 days’ time for the contractors

to submit the bank guarantee. We will wait till October 1, take stock on how many have submitted it and begin issuing work orders,” he said.