BBMP's apathy cost Bengaluru its clean tag

Clearly reflecting on the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) lack of commitment to its basic duties and its deteriorating performance in keeping the city clean, Bengaluru has abysmally slipped to 210th rank among 434 cities across the country in the Swachh Sarvekshan survey report for 2017. The city, which stood fifth in the first report, had gone down to 38th in the next, before spiralling down to the current status. Mysuru, which stood first last year, has been pushed to the fifth place, while Belagavi and Hubballi which ranked 38th and 54th, respectively, in the first survey, do not find a mention even within 200, marking a new low for Karnataka. Indore and Bhopal, both in Madhya Pradesh, have emerged as the top two cleanest cities, followed by Visakhapatnam and Surat. The survey conducted by Quality Control of India at the instance of the Union Urban Development Ministry, looked at broad parameters such as waste collection, sweeping and transportation of garbage, processing and disposal of waste and whether any part of the city has been declared open defecation free (ODF), besides providing information and education effecting behavioural changes among citizens. In the survey, documentation and ground assessment were supplemented with citizens’ feedback for a clear picture.

Considering that nearly 80% of over 37 lakh citizens who were surveyed said that cleanliness in their cities had improved compared to last year, people of Bengaluru have reasons to complain and strongly protest. While smaller cities have taken the laudable Swachh Bharat Abhiyan seriously, the BBMP has been laid-back. The Indore municipal corporation, part of Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan’s constituency, went from 149 to 25 to number one ranking in three years through sustained efforts to improve garbage collection and disposal and at achieving ODF status. Bengaluru, however, lost some vital points as at the relevant stage, none of its six compost-based waste proc­essing plants was functional and the authorities failed to declare any part of the city ODF, adding to its woes.

Bengaluru’s misfortune stems from the government’s inability to break the nexus between the garbage mafia, politicians and officials and its continued reliance on transporting mixed garbage to various landfills. Citizens from around some of the landfills in the city have protested and debarred the BBMP trucks, but they continue to live with mountains of toxic and foul-smelling waste. The government should vigorously involve citizens in the segregation of waste and commit itself to a clean, efficient and decentralised processing of wet waste to restore Bengaluru’s reputation as a clean, green city.