Delay in pay for pourakarmikas crashes trash collection system

Civic authorities are just not able to thrash out a permanent solution to the City’s trash crisis. The problem of garbage piling up has come back to haunt Bengalureans, turning many areas into eyesores.

The problem, it is said, is mainly due to pourakarmikas not discharging their duties properly as the BBMP has not paid their salaries for the past four months. Though the BBMP claims to have made the payments on March 3, only a section of pourakarmikas have got their salary dues.

It is not just Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Yelahanka and Jayanagar where residents are complaining of piled-up garbage. Heaps of litter have lined up across the streets of Konanakunte, Basavanagudi, Kodihalli, GM Palya, Jeevan Bima Nagar, Indiranagar, at Auden Public School near Hosakerehalli and under the National College flyover on Vanivilas Road, Kathriguppe Main Road and other areas.

Residents have been complaining that pourakarmikas (PKs) are not turning up to collect the waste from their households. Rajesh D, a resident of Konanakunte, said, “The PKs are rude and when we ask them to lift the waste, they ask us to pay them money. The garbage has not been lifted for two weeks in our locality”.

Jawad Alam, a resident of Haines Road, Shivajinagar, said, “After we lodged a complaint with the National Consumer Complaint  Forum, it was forwarded to the BBMP officials. The PKs have now started picking up the waste. But they are still irregular and come only once in two or three days. Some people are dumping garbage at the corners of roads and in the drainage”.

Manjunath S of the BBMP, who supervises garbage collection in ITI Layout, Srinivasanagar and Vinayakanagar in Basavanagudi Assembly constituency, said that it was not the fault of the PKs and garbage contractors. He pointed out that the problem lay with the BBMP, which is irregular in paying salaries.

“Some of the PKs have been thrown out of their houses by the owners as they have not paid the rents. How can they work if they are not getting salary?” Manjunath said. The PKs went on a strike in a few areas last week, leading to a pile-up of garbage. 

“For four days, there was strike in a few parts of the City and hence, the waste lies uncleared. At landfills like Bingipura, only one garbage truck is allowed per day. This has contributed to the delay in clearing the waste,” he said. 

BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana, when contacted, said that the civic agency had released a total of Rs 118 crore for clearing the salary bills of PKs on March 3. “There will not be any problems from now on as the amount is already being paid to them in a phased manner,” he said.

Pothanna, general secretary, BBMP Pourakarmikas’ and Arogya Gangmen’s Association, said that salaries had been released only to the PKs on contract and not those working on permanent basis. 

“As per BBMP rules, payment has to be made by the first date of every month, which is not happening. Presently, there are 3,000 to 4,000 permanent PKs and over 14,000 contract PKs”.