BENGALURU: Every year, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) spends more on garbage disposal than its municipal counterparts in other South Indian cities. And with the latest garbage tender, the civic agency will now be spending more than ever before.
Bengaluru has 198 wards and a geographical area of around 800 sqkm. The city generates 4,000 tonnes of waste every day, and BBMP spends around Rs 450 crore annually to dispose it. In comparison, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GJMC), with a jurisdiction of 625 sqkm, spends Rs 100 crore to dispose of 3,800 tonnes of daily waste. Chennai produces more waste but spends less to manage it. The Corporation of Chennai spends around Rs 400 crore to dispose of 6,000 tonnes of waste.
A senior BBMP official said the garbage mafia is a big reason for the state of things. “Garbage contractors are paid for every kilogram of waste they transport. That is one of the reasons they don’t encourage segregation. If segregated, the waste quantity will go down.”
New Tender
Interestingly, the new garbage tender, called in 80 wards, makes it clear the contractor needs to make sure waste is segregated. “There will be a separate team to sweep the roads. We are going to call tender in another 90 wards in January. With all the new services, the BBMP might shell out Rs 150 crore in addition to the existing Rs 450 crore,” he said.