<p>Bengaluru: Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) has formed a 15-member committee to recommend a user fee for the scientific disposal of construction and demolition (C&D) waste in the city.</p>.<p>The move comes even as BSWML has already engaged a private agency to provide the service.</p>.<p>Notably, the committee has no representation from the very users who will eventually pay the fee — property owners, builders or developers.</p>.<p>According to the circular, the committee is headed by the chief executive officer (CEO) of BSWML. Its members include commissioners of the five city corporations, senior engineers from the GBA, BDA, BWSSB, BMRCL, PWD and KSPCB, along with representatives from two private C&D waste-processing units.</p>.<p>The committee, which has reportedly met several times over the past month, is expected to prepare an action plan for C&D waste management, recommend user fees for different categories of waste generators, and frame regulatory provisions to curb indiscriminate dumping of debris.</p>.<p>Once the recommendations are accepted, city corporations are likely to levy a user fee for disposal of construction debris, which sources said may be collected at the time of building plan approvals. BSWML is also developing a mobile application through which users can book debris collection and transportation services.</p>.<p>What has raised concerns is the absence of citizen representatives in the panel deciding the charges. Even organisations such as CREDAI and the Bangalore Apartments Federation (BAF) are not part of the committee.</p>.<p>'Familiar pattern'</p>.<p>Srikanth Narasimhan, general secretary of the Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP), said the exclusion of citizens reflects a familiar pattern.</p>.<p>"Even when the user fee for garbage disposal was fixed, citizens were not consulted. By the time the fee came into force, people had very little time to respond as it was introduced at the start of the financial year,” he said, adding that the garbage cess had created confusion and bulk waste generators ended up paying the charges.</p>.<p>DH had earlier reported that BSWML had engaged private firm Chaitra Ventures to handle 4,750 tonnes of debris. BSWML will pay a tipping fee of Rs 760 per tonne for collection and transportation of 1,750 tonnes of waste, and Rs 967 per tonne for the remaining 3,000 tonnes, which includes waste processing. The agency is expected to recover these costs from end users.</p>.<p><strong>Committee may be revised</strong></p>.<p>When contacted, BSWML CEO Karee Gowda said more stakeholders could be included in the committee tasked with fixing the user fee for C&D waste.</p>.<p>“Some corporations have already started discussions on this issue. If citizens are not included in the committee, I will issue directions to revise it,” he said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) has formed a 15-member committee to recommend a user fee for the scientific disposal of construction and demolition (C&D) waste in the city.</p>.<p>The move comes even as BSWML has already engaged a private agency to provide the service.</p>.<p>Notably, the committee has no representation from the very users who will eventually pay the fee — property owners, builders or developers.</p>.<p>According to the circular, the committee is headed by the chief executive officer (CEO) of BSWML. Its members include commissioners of the five city corporations, senior engineers from the GBA, BDA, BWSSB, BMRCL, PWD and KSPCB, along with representatives from two private C&D waste-processing units.</p>.<p>The committee, which has reportedly met several times over the past month, is expected to prepare an action plan for C&D waste management, recommend user fees for different categories of waste generators, and frame regulatory provisions to curb indiscriminate dumping of debris.</p>.<p>Once the recommendations are accepted, city corporations are likely to levy a user fee for disposal of construction debris, which sources said may be collected at the time of building plan approvals. BSWML is also developing a mobile application through which users can book debris collection and transportation services.</p>.<p>What has raised concerns is the absence of citizen representatives in the panel deciding the charges. Even organisations such as CREDAI and the Bangalore Apartments Federation (BAF) are not part of the committee.</p>.<p>'Familiar pattern'</p>.<p>Srikanth Narasimhan, general secretary of the Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP), said the exclusion of citizens reflects a familiar pattern.</p>.<p>"Even when the user fee for garbage disposal was fixed, citizens were not consulted. By the time the fee came into force, people had very little time to respond as it was introduced at the start of the financial year,” he said, adding that the garbage cess had created confusion and bulk waste generators ended up paying the charges.</p>.<p>DH had earlier reported that BSWML had engaged private firm Chaitra Ventures to handle 4,750 tonnes of debris. BSWML will pay a tipping fee of Rs 760 per tonne for collection and transportation of 1,750 tonnes of waste, and Rs 967 per tonne for the remaining 3,000 tonnes, which includes waste processing. The agency is expected to recover these costs from end users.</p>.<p><strong>Committee may be revised</strong></p>.<p>When contacted, BSWML CEO Karee Gowda said more stakeholders could be included in the committee tasked with fixing the user fee for C&D waste.</p>.<p>“Some corporations have already started discussions on this issue. If citizens are not included in the committee, I will issue directions to revise it,” he said.</p>