Garbage collection disrupted in Bengaluru as workers protest over wages, new rules

Bengaluru : Waste collection services in several parts of the city were hit on Monday after auto tipper drivers and loaders went on a mass strike, disrupting operations in nearly 50 wards. The protest, triggered by pending salaries and opposition to new waste segregation rules, has exposed cracks in the city’s Waste Management system.

According to officials, the disruption affected multiple مناطق, leaving piles of garbage uncleared in residential and commercial areas. The workers, employed through contractors, reportedly abstained from duty demanding immediate clearance of pending wages and rollback of new guidelines mandating segregation at the source.

The Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited has insisted that waste must be segregated at the source before collection, a move aimed at improving efficiency and reducing landfill burden. However, contractors and workers have opposed the directive, arguing that segregation is the responsibility of waste generators and not collection staff.

BSWML CEO Kari Gowda clarified that the issue was limited to about 40–50 wards and that garbage collection continued as usual in the rest of the city. He also assured that steps have been taken to release pending salaries for the past four months, which has been a key demand of the protesting workers.

Meanwhile, the civic body has taken a tough stance against contractors who failed to ensure service delivery. Authorities have registered 35 FIRs under the Essential Services Maintenance Act against erring contractors for disrupting an essential public service. The move has further escalated tensions between the administration and contractor associations.

BBMP waste contractors’ association president S. N. Balasubramanian defended the workers, stating that forcing drivers and loaders to ensure segregation amounts to shifting responsibility unfairly. He also raised concerns that such practices could violate provisions of laws related to manual scavenging, as workers are being asked to handle unsegregated waste directly.

On the other hand, BSWML officials maintain that as per tender conditions, contractors are required to collect only segregated waste and ensure compliance at the ground level. They argue that enforcing segregation is critical for sustainable waste management and environmental protection.

The standoff highlights ongoing challenges in Bengaluru’s waste management framework, including coordination gaps between authorities, contractors, and citizens. With garbage piling up in affected wards, residents have expressed concern over hygiene and public health risks.

Authorities are now working to resolve the dispute and restore normalcy at the earliest, while urging citizens to cooperate by segregating waste at the source to avoid future disruptions.