BBMP entrusts new company to manage solid waste; transfers 21 engineers

Twenty-one engineers working with the BBMP has been transferred to the Bangalore Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), as the civic body prepares to make it independent.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will no longer directly oversee solid waste management in the city. Instead, its responsibilities will be limited to ensuring the cleanliness of public places, supervising pourakarmikas, and maintaining toilets.

In an order dated June 28, BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath deployed additional manpower to the BSWML, which was constituted about three years ago.

The new entity, which will be headed by an IAS officer, plans to appoint one assistant general manager for every two assembly constituencies, while marshals will monitor the garbage contractors in each ward. Separate postings have also been created to supervise processing plants.

Notably, the BSWML has significantly reduced the supervisory staff, as payment files for garbage collection contractors will no longer require the signatures of junior health inspectors, assistant executive engineers, superintendent engineers, and joint commissioners.

Starting June 1, the new entity has been handling door-to-door collection, transportation and disposal of waste.

However, the BBMP has retained supervision of approximately 28,000 pourakarmikas who are tasked with sweeping about 14,000 kilometers of streets in Bengaluru.

Junior health inspectors will oversee the attendance of cleanliness staff. This set up may lead to confusion, as pourakarmikas also assist garbage contractors in clearing black spots. Also, auto tippers are responsible for collecting the leaves swept by the pourakarmikas.

Harish Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, BSWML, said the supervisory staff is being consciously reduced as it plans to adopt technology.

“We will have a command control centre in about 15 days, which will receive feed from the ground on the number of auto tippers put to use on a daily basis, the distance covered and the time taken. Feedback received from the public will also be taken into account while clearing bills,” he said.

Policy experts, however, felt the BSWML does not have statutory backing for taking over solid waste management responsibilities.

PG Shenoy, Director of Centre for Urban Governance Studies and Policy Research, said the BSWML was formed on the basis of an executive order without a statutory backup.

"The new entity can be perceived only as a service providing contractor. To address this, there is a need to create a statutory framework and BSWML should be brought under the administrative control of the council,” he said.