‘Freedom from Waste’ Campaign Launched Across Bengaluru to Clear Debris and Illegal Dumping
Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday launched the ‘Freedom from Waste’ campaign, a month-long citywide initiative aimed at making Bengaluru cleaner, healthier and free of construction debris and illegal waste dumping.
The campaign, organised jointly by the five City Corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) and several government departments, was inaugurated at Hebbal Junction near Esteem Mall on Bellary Road.
Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour Shobha Karandlaje, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Energy Minister K.J. George, MLAs S.R. Vishwanath and A.C. Srinivas, Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Girinath, GBA Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao, BSWML Chief Executive Officer Karigowda, Bengaluru North City Corporation Commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar, senior officials and other dignitaries were present.
The campaign will be carried out throughout August with the participation of the five GBA City Corporations, BSWML, Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), BESCOM, BMRCL, Indian Railways, K-RIDE, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) and other government agencies.
As part of the initiative, construction and demolition (C&D) waste, tree branches, electric poles, pipes and other debris lying on roads and public spaces across Bengaluru will be removed through coordinated action by all participating agencies.
BSWML will deploy its ‘Clearit’ software platform for registration of vehicles transporting construction and demolition waste, uploading details of waste locations and quantities, and monitoring transportation and disposal.
Officials said 1,616 public locations across Bengaluru have been identified with approximately 22,730 metric tonnes of construction and demolition waste and inert waste. Ward-level Assistant Engineers have also been authorised to upload newly identified waste locations through the application to ensure comprehensive coverage.
Under the Construction and Demolition Waste (Management) Rules, 2025, M/s Chaitra Civil Ventures LLP has been appointed to collect and transport C&D waste to authorised processing facilities. The loading and transportation charge has been fixed at ₹760.50 per tonne.
To accelerate waste removal, 70 tipper vehicles have been deployed across the five City Corporations. Additional vehicles will be inducted depending on operational requirements.
The inert waste generated during the campaign will be disposed of at five designated sites located at Yarappanahalli, Marenahalli, Venkatapura, Vittasandra and Kallubalu, covering different zones of Bengaluru.
The GBA has also issued a public notification directing owners of private vacant sites to remove garbage, debris and overgrown vegetation from their properties on or before August 15, 2026.
If owners fail to comply, the respective City Corporations will clear the waste and recover the cost from property owners based on the size of the site and quantity of debris. In addition, a ₹25,000 fine will be imposed for the first violation, while repeat violations will attract penalties ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh.
Citizens have been encouraged to report uncleared vacant sites after August 15 by sending photographs and GPS coordinates through the WhatsApp Chatbot at +91 94481 97197. Authorities said the identity of complainants will remain confidential.
Property owners have also been directed to construct compound walls or fencing around cleaned vacant sites and take measures to prevent fresh dumping of waste.
Calling for public participation, the organisers appealed to citizens, elected representatives, resident welfare associations, voluntary organisations and youth groups to actively support the campaign and help transform ‘Freedom from Waste’ into a people’s movement for building a clean, green and livable Bengaluru.
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