New govt company to handle Bengaluru's garbage problem

Bengaluru will get a separate entity to handle its notorious garbage problem.

The state cabinet on Wednesday approved the setting up of Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd. Both the state government and the BBMP will have stakes in the company, which will look into collection, transport and processing of waste, apart from waste-to-energy initiatives.

The government hopes that this will allow the BBMP to focus on other core issues plaguing the city: roads, pedestrian infrastructure, stormwater drains and enforcement of municipal laws.

The move comes ahead of the impending BBMP elections, which have been put on hold owing to the enactment of a separate law to govern Bengaluru.

Briefing reporters, Law Minister Basavaraj Bommai said there was a requirement for a focused approach to waste management in Bengaluru.

“The BBMP is unable to invest exclusive time in waste management as it is burdened with other responsibilities. There has been a demand for an administrative and financially independent body for this purpose. The cabinet has recognised the need for this and the approval was given for the same,” he said.

In the new company, the BBMP will have a 51% stake while the state government will have 49%, he added. The government’s additional chief secretary will be the chief executive for this government-run company.

Bengaluru is estimated to generate about 5,500 tonnes of garbage daily, of which 4,500 tonnes are household waste and the rest bulk waste from commercial establishments. The city’s solid waste management is almost always mired in controversy, with elected representatives calling it “garbage mafia”.

There are seven waste-processing plants, of which only four are working at present. “The chief minister has directed to ensure that the other three are functional at the earliest. Also, three waste-to-energy generation plants are about to be functional in the city soon. One is on the verge of completion, while the other two will be functional over the next 15 months,” Bommai said.