Bengaluru’s waste collection vehicles to turn green

Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Company (BSWMC) on Tuesday floated tenders to collect and transport (C&T) waste from houses and commercial establishments in 243 wards by breaking down the contract into 89 packages.

Among the host of changes introduced in the tender is to replace age-old auto tippers and trucks with the eco-friendlier BS-VI norms.

As per the BSWMC’s initial estimates, the annual cost of C&T of waste from a total of 42 lakh households and small commercial units has been estimated at Rs 590 crore, a steep increase from the Rs 40 crore it currently spends.

Under the new system, the BSWMC plans to deploy 1,700 new pushcarts, 2,100 new three-wheelers, 2,700 new four-wheelers, and 525 new compactors to dispose of waste.

Read | BBMP plans to hire external agency to aid SWM company

Officials said the objective of floating fresh tenders is to ensure that a single agency is trusted to collect and transport all types of waste from a ward.

The private firm is expected to collect wet, dry, and sanitary waste from houses and shops by ensuring their proper segregation. This is likely to irk waste pickers who have partnered with the BBMP to collect dry waste in some wards.

The C&T responsibilities will go to 89 private firms as the BSWMC has brought two to four wards under each package. Officials said the cost of inducting new vehicles has also been incorporated while arriving at the initial cost estimates.

“There will not be a significant increase in the C&T cost because we have increased the contract period to five years,” Dr Harish Kumar, who heads the newly established BSWMC, said.

Besides collecting waste from houses and commercial buildings (producing up to 100 kg of waste a day), the private firms will also be responsible for clearing litter bins and garbage vulnerable points (black spots).

Garbage contractor S N Balasubramani felt the BSWMC has not considered the actual cost of inducting new vehicles, going by the civic body’s initial estimates.

“There is not much clarity on the tender conditions as the request for proposal (RFP) document will be available only on August 28. We will raise our concerns during the pre-bid meeting,” he said.

Streamline process

Former corporator N R Ramesh said that the new tenders are likely to streamline the waste collection system.

“The BBMP used to spend more than Rs 1,110 crore a year between 2016 and 2018. The cost has come down to Rs 600 crore, which is a good sign. After the massive expenditure was brought to the notice of investigative agencies, the corruption level has come down,” he said.