BENGALURU: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has noted serious lapses in waste management, particularly legacy waste, in many states, including Karnataka. Sources said the court is now asking for regular reports from each state on managing, processing and disposing of waste.
The Karnataka government, in its recent report, said there is a gap in processing 2670 Tonnes Per Day (TDP) of waste, which comprised waste in urban areas, including Greater Bengaluru Authority (then BBMP) limits and other urban local bodies, as of 2025. Pertaining to wet waste, the gap was of 1064TPD, which included GBA and other urban local body limits.
In urban local bodies, the State government said there is a gap in processing 219 TPD wet waste, which will be addressed by December 2026. In GBA limits, the gap was 845 TPD and the timeline for meeting the gap was listed as December 2027.
A senior NGT official said that while the corporations and government have given a timeline to address it, daily waste generation and backlog of legacy waste will only keep piling up. This means the gap in waste generation and processing will remain.
“The court has taken note of the large gaps in waste management and rising piles of legacy waste. Penalties are also being imposed on state governments for poor work. There are so many orders and rules. But the will to implement them on the ground is lacking. It is time to start things,” said a senior NGT official, adding that it has also been observed that the pile is increasing year on year.
The official said that so far, the report till 2025 has been made public, and the 2026 report is awaited. A Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited official admitted that meeting the timeline will be difficult as there are few or no takers for legacy waste at present.
The state government also has financial constraints in managing waste. Citizens are requested to be responsible and not throw garbage outside, and segregation and management at source is essential, the official said.
