Bengaluru is preparing for a major overhaul of its solid waste management system as the city struggles to handle the growing volume of garbage generated every day. The Greater Bengaluru Authority plans to increase transportation capacity to around 9000 tonnes a day and introduce GPS tracking across the new collection system.
The proposed changes were discussed at a stakeholder consultation on solid waste management attended by Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. The government says the new system is intended to make garbage collection more transparent, improve doorstep service and create greater accountability among agencies handling waste.
At present, Bengaluru generates around 6500 tonnes of waste every day, while the existing collection capacity is estimated at about 5200 tonnes. The gap has placed pressure on the current system, particularly as the city has expanded and the number of households has increased.
Under the proposed arrangement, the existing system based on 27 Assembly constituencies is being reorganised into 33 packages. Around 4500 vehicles are expected to operate under the new structure, including larger vehicles with capacities of two and three tonnes.
GPS tracking will be mandatory for the collection vehicles. The technology is expected to help officials check whether vehicles follow their assigned routes, which roads they cover and how long they remain in operation. This could also make it easier to identify areas where regular collection is not taking place.
The administration has said ensuring that collection vehicles reach households is its responsibility. Residents, meanwhile, have been asked to keep wet and dry waste separate and hand it over to collection vehicles instead of leaving garbage on roadsides.
The government is also looking closely at bulk waste generators. Bengaluru has around 50000 establishments and other entities classified as bulk waste generators, but only about 2000 are reported to have arrangements with authorised vendors.
According to the minister, bulk generators are adding nearly 1000 tonnes of waste each day to the household collection system. Authorities want these establishments to follow applicable rules, segregate waste at their premises and process or compost it at source wherever required.
There has been some progress in reducing the quantity of waste sent directly to landfills. Around 2100 tonnes of segregated wet waste is currently being sent to processing facilities each day, while the amount reaching landfills has fallen from roughly 4000 tonnes to around 2500 tonnes.
The city has also been carrying out large scale clearance drives. The Greater Bengaluru Authority has reported removing around 142000 tonnes of accumulated construction and other waste, while the Bengaluru Development Authority has cleared about 80000 tonnes of old waste under the Freedom from Waste campaign.
Citizens and stakeholder groups have also suggested several changes to make the system work better at the local level. These include ward level processing facilities, dry waste collection centres and Reduce Reuse Recycle centres.
Participants have also called for weighing systems on collection vehicles so that the quantity of waste being collected can be recorded more accurately. Another suggestion was to deploy separate vehicles for street sweeping waste instead of mixing it with household collection.
Greater public oversight has also emerged as a key demand. Stakeholders suggested making contractor performance information accessible to residents and appointing paid citizen wardens who could help monitor services and communicate local problems to civic authorities.
Providing incentives to households that consistently segregate their waste was another suggestion raised during the consultation. Supporters of such a system believe it could encourage more residents to separate waste correctly at the source.
The proposed overhaul, however, is facing some implementation difficulties. Recent reports indicate that contractors have accepted work orders for only a portion of the newly approved packages, while some packages have faced legal challenges and others are being put out for fresh bidding.
This means the transition to the new system may take time. Authorities will have to complete the tender process, deploy the larger vehicles and ensure that GPS based monitoring becomes operational across the collection network.
The government is also expected to test the new approach and review its performance after implementation. The aim is not simply to move more garbage from one location to another, but to create a system in which collection, segregation, transportation and processing are monitored more closely.
For Bengaluru residents, the biggest expected change is more accountable doorstep collection. If the planned GPS system works as intended, officials should have better information about vehicle movements and areas where service gaps occur.
At the same time, the administration has stressed that civic responsibility remains important. Proper segregation at homes and compliance by bulk waste generators will be necessary if the additional transportation capacity is to translate into better waste processing rather than simply moving larger quantities of mixed waste.
The planned increase to 9000 tonnes of daily transportation capacity is therefore only one part of a much larger waste management reform. The success of the system will depend on how effectively the new contracts, vehicles, tracking technology, processing facilities and public participation work together.
