BBMP far behind smaller cities in sorting trash

Credit: DH Graphic

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is far behind the state’s 314 urban local bodies (ULBs) in handling its waste as the capital segregates only 30 per cent of the garbage while the ULBs have leaped ahead by achieving 70 per cent segregation.

With over 5,500 tonnes, Bengaluru accounts for more than half of the garbage generated in the state everyday. The state generates about 11,085 tonnes of waste per day.

In the latest report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the state’s chief secretary assured the tribunal of “more enforcement and levy of penalties” to ensure implementation of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, which require separation and storage of waste as biodegradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous waste.

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It has been more than 10 years since authorities started fixing deadlines for BBMP to implement a sustainable SWM system. The Supreme Court, Karnataka High Court and the NGT have also stepped in during recent years, with the latter imposing a penalty of Rs 5 crore on the Palike back in 2018.

The BBMP has also promised to streamline the door-to-door waste collection in the next six months. Stating that new tenders have been floated for collecting wet, sanitary and dry waste separately, it said 100 per cent coverage will be achieved “by December 2022”.

The BBMP is yet to identify the land for processing and disposing garbage. Though the Palike has spent Rs 440 crore to set up seven waste processing plants, their total capacity of 2,350 tonnes a day is less than the waste generated in the city.

“Even these seven plants are operating at half the capacity. There are several reasons for this, including opposition from local residents,” a senior official said.

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In comparison, the ULBs have posted better numbers with regard to achieving the targets. “When it comes to ULBs, we found that those with less built up areas have a better record than those which have recorded growth. In effect, they have posted 73 per cent achievement in segregation. About 13 per cent of the waste is still littered or burnt, however this is less than 15 per cent posted by the BBMP,” the official noted.

The official also said that considering the availability of land, smaller cities will overtake Bengaluru in establishing processing units.