BENGALURU: With garbage contractors not sending low-value plastic to the transfer station by segregating waste and threatening to stop service following action by marshals, FIRs have been filed against more than 20 contractors across the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits.
As per Karee Gowda, CEO, Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), the authority will not allow any blackmailing and hence got the FIRs registered.
In response, SN Balasubramanyam, General Secretary of GBA Garbage Contractors Association, said that the BSWML CEO, COO, Assistant Executive Engineers (AEEs), and Assistant Engineers (AEs) are harassing contractors and hence counter complaints will be filed for violation of the Scavengers Act.
The top official from BSWML stated that the appointed agencies have a duty to collect wet and dry waste separately from each house and transport it to the recycling unit and landfill areas.
“Daily waste collection is very important from the point of view of public health. If waste disposal is not done properly, black spots will be created on the roads, which will have a serious adverse effect on the beauty of the city and the health of the public, there will be a risk of spreading infectious diseases, and the sanitation of the city will be completely impaired.
Some of the contractors are not collecting and disposing of garbage in their limits, and have shown gross negligence in their duty by not collecting the waste between 6 am and 2 pm on 23-03-2026.
This act of theirs is detrimental to public health and is a clear violation of the ESMA Act. Therefore, in the public interest and to maintain the cleanliness of the city, a complaint has been filed seeking appropriate legal action under the ESMA Act against the contractors for dereliction of duty,” said Karee Gowda.
The officials said around 35 FIRs have been filed against contractors and some of the agencies have more than two FIRs against them.
Responding to the FIRs and BSWML stand, SN Balasubramanyam stated that the BSWML has a responsibility of creating awareness among residents to segregation of waste at source and then hand over wet and dry waste to auto tippers that come at their doorstep.
“BSWML is trying to tie the failure of segregation of waste at source to the contractors’ head. The contractors did not agree to the low-value plastic generation and sending it to the waste unit. Many workers like drivers and waste pickers, have left for Tamil Nadu and West Bengal due to the assembly elections, and hence the work was hit.
But the BSWML has termed this impact of waste collection as a protest and got FIRs registered. In response, we will also get a counter FIR against BSWML officials as their action is a violation of the Scavengers Act. That apart, we will also file an atrocity case against the CEO and others,” said Balu.