BENGALURU: The garbage menace has been bothering Bengaluru for long. While BBMP has cleared up certain black spots in the city, other areas are still an eyesore. This has led to citizens demanding that the Palike collect garbage twice a day or change their collection timings. Some areas of the city like Ejipura, Magadi Road, roads connecting to RR Nagar, parts of Vasanth Nagar, black spots have become a common sight.
Why can’t BBMP clear garbage?
Citizens and experts pointed out the despite there being a separate wing in BBMP for solid waste management, and the government forming a separate company for the same, the menace remains the same. “Marshals cleared the place. Then, the BBMP hung a poster saying if anyone litters, they will be penalised. Within a span of a few days, the poster was lost under another huge pile of waste. Garbage collectors have also now given up,” said Rajesh P, a resident of Magadi Road, where garbage continues to pile on.
Mallesh T from RR Nagar echoed a similar opinion. He said that the biggest problem is that when contractors are asked to clear waste, they pass around the buck and say it is not their problem to handle. In commercial establishments in old CBD areas like Majestic, City Market and surroundings, despite garbage being collected every day, the black spots remain.
Many discussions have been held on different timings for garbage collection. Experts pointed out that garbage should be collected at night from food streets like VV Puram and from residential areas, it should be collected from 7 am to 10 am. Others suggested that given the city’s waste generation, garbage can be collected twice a day as well.
Garbage menace has been streamlined
Sarfaraz Khan, Joint Commissioner of SWM, BBMP and Secretary of the SWM company told The New Indian Express that the garbage menace in Bengaluru has been streamlined to a large extent. “We are waiting for government orders to install CCTVs at strategic locations to check on littering. We are also planning on using the existing ones to prevent littering,” he said.
Mailini Parmar, Solid Waste Management Round Table said, the garbage at Eijipura is back again because the dry waste collector has not been paid his dues by the BBMP. “Now, with commercial establishments opening again, littering has started at different areas. Citizen volunteers need to identify and put a stop to littering,” she added.