The government will not wait for the new waste management system to be rolled out and will instead focus on improving garbage collection over the next three months, Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Thursday, while directing officials to ensure door-to-door waste collection to eliminate garbage black spots across the city. 

“Instructions have been issued to ensure door-to-door garbage collection. While the task is difficult and requires considerable effort, garbage will be collected from every household to eliminate black spots across the city,” he said. 

Speaking after a review meeting on solid waste management, the Minister said waste management had become a daily challenge for the city and acknowledged the frustration of residents over the issue. While new tenders are being processed, he said immediate steps were needed to improve the existing system. 

The Minister said that separate tenders have been floated for waste collection and waste segregation. Of the 33 collection tenders, six are currently before courts, while the remaining 27 are in the final stages of processing. 

Many existing vehicles are in poor condition, there is a shortage of staff and mostly garbage collection vehicles continue to operate without GPS tracking despite court directions mandating it, he said. 

“The problem is not entirely with the civic authorities,” the Minister said. While residents cooperate with waste collection efforts in nearly 70% of areas and officials are aware that collection remains irregular in about 20% of localities, garbage continues to be dumped on roads in some areas even when collection vehicles visit regularly, he said. “People say the vehicle should come at a particular time, but that is not always possible. It is practically impossible to keep lifting garbage 24 hours a day,” he said. 

The Minister said the persistence of garbage black spots was neither good for public health nor for the city’s appearance. “This problem can be solved only when both the civic body and citizens work together,” he said. 

He added that officials would be held accountable wherever waste collection was found to be irregular and called on residents to report such instances. At the same time, he repeatedly appealed to citizens to hand over waste to collection vehicles instead of dumping it on roads. Mr. Gowda said segregation levels have reached around 80% in some areas, but remain below 45% in others. 

Referring to proposals being considered by Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) to reduce dependence on contractors, he said the future waste collection systems would mandate GPS tracking and that payments would not be released to operators who fail to comply. 

Special drive

  Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the government will conduct a special drive to clear garbage, debris and overgrown weeds from major roads across the city. He warned that strict action would be taken against people who litter in public places. Those found dumping waste could face hefty fines and may also be asked to clear the garbage themselves, he said.