The High Court on Thursday observed why the corporate sector cannot be engaged in the process of garbage clearance in the City, by handing over the responsibility of dry waste centres to them as part of ‘corporate social responsibility’.  

Hearing a batch of petitions on garbage clearance, a division bench comprising Justices N Kumar and B V Nagarathna orally observed that corporates are creating jobs, due to which more people are coming to the City and polluting it. 

“In case of dry waste centres, they can also use the space for publicity by installing their company’s board,” the court said.

The advocate of one of the petitioners said certain corporate companies have come forward to help BBMP financially in solving the garbage crisis. But, they have refused to pitch in for managing the crisis. Responding to the submission, Darpan Jain, special commissioner for garbage clearance, said that finance is not a problem with BBMP, but it was maintenance that is required from the corporate sector. 

He and BBMP commissioner M Lakshminarayana said that they will think about approaching the corporate sector to help them manage garbage disposal.

The BBMP advocate submitted that of the 47 dry waste centres in the City, 19 were functioning and 29 are yet to begin. The counsel said that the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation had increased its garbage processing capacity from 250 tonnes to 400 tonnes.

The bench asked BDA and BMRDA to create space in civic amenity sites for solid waste management in new layouts on the outskirts of the City.  The bench adjourned the hearing to September 1.