Who should collect municipal waste generated in apartment complexes? While Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike says it is the duty of solid waste management contractors to dispose municipal waste generated in all households, including apartment complexes, contractors claim that it is not their duty.
BBMP joint commissioner (Health) B V Kulkarni said, “It is clear in the tender notification that contractors should collect municipal waste from households. However the contractors are arguing that apartment complexes do not come under the banner ‘households’. I have given instructions to zonal medical officers to enforce the mechanism as mentioned in the tender and contractors have to follow it.”
Solid Waste Management Contractors Association has strong reservations to Mr Kulkarni's statement. “We have been asked to collect municipal waste at door step. There is no question of collecting municipal waste from apartment complexes as our autos or push carts are not allowed inside the complexes. Moreover in the tender orders nowhere it is mentioned that contractors should collect garbage from apartment complexes,” argues association general secretary S N Balasubramanya. He further said the Palike should make separate arrangement for disposal of garbage generated in apartment complexes.
Contractor Padmanabha Reddy said, “Each contractor has been given a list of houses to collect garbage. But the list do not include apartment complexes. If the Palike wants us to collect garbage generated apartment complexes too it has to revise the pay package.”