Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Urban Development portfolio, announced that the city’s waste management system will now be streamlined through 33 tender packages covering 28 Assembly constituencies. He revealed that four sites have also been identified for projects to generate gas and electricity from waste, marking a shift toward modern technology in solid waste management.
During the Legislative Council’s Question Hour, responding to BJP MLC Keshava Prasad, Shivakumar said:
“We have already acquired land from the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) for waste management. A site near Doddaballapur awaits clearance from the Pollution Control Board, but the project will move forward after Cabinet approval. The idea is to manage waste on a contract basis using advanced technology.”
Garbage Mafia Challenge
Acknowledging the influence of vested interests, Shivakumar stated:
“Breaking the Bengaluru garbage mafia is not easy. Even during the BJP regime, tenders for 98 wards were blocked. The court, after noting irregularities, directed us to cancel the old system and call for new tenders. Waste processing plants were also shut down following the reports.”
He added that he studied waste disposal models in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai to identify best practices. “When I was the Energy Minister, nine waste-to-energy plants were set up, but only one is still functional. Smaller units are not viable; only projects capable of producing at least 20 MW of power are feasible,” he noted.
Garbage Cess Implementation
On the garbage cess issue, Shivakumar clarified that it was introduced by the BJP government in 2020 under the Solid Waste Management Rules notified by the Centre in 2016.
The gazette mandated charges such as:
- ₹500 for 5 kg waste
- ₹1,400 for 10 kg
- ₹3,400 for 25 kg
- ₹7,000 for 50 kg
- ₹14,000 for 100 kg
- ₹2.40 per sq. ft. for vacant sites
However, Shivakumar said:
“We are collecting only 25% of the notified rate, i.e., ₹2.40 per sq. ft. for vacant sites. Large malls have pledged to manage their own waste, and we support this. A new law is being drafted to ensure vacant plots remain clean.”
Citizen Declarations & Enforcement
So far, 35,000 citizens have voluntarily declared the type of waste they generate and pledged to manage it themselves. Builders dumping debris illegally are being booked, and tenders have been floated for construction waste management. Additionally, CCTV surveillance will be expanded across the city to monitor violations, Shivakumar confirmed.
