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Bengaluru, often hailed as the Garden City of India, is making remarkable strides in the field of waste management. Covering an area of 714 square kilometres and home to a population of 13 million, the city generates a staggering 5,000 metric tonnes of waste daily. Despite these challenges, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has risen to the occasion, implementing innovative waste management practices that are both efficient and sustainable.
Basavaraj R. Kabade, the Chief Engineer of Solid Waste Management at BBMP, has highlighted the city’s proactive approach in waste management by establishing a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited, dedicated to overseeing the city’s solid waste management operations. The BBMP employs a fleet of 4,500 auto tippers, 600 compactors, and 130 dry waste collection centres, along with the tireless efforts of 16,500 Pourakarmikas (sanitation workers), to ensure that waste is collected, transported, and processed efficiently.
The city’s waste management strategy is multifaceted, involving various technologies and initiatives tailored to different waste streams. This includes Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCC), Aggregation Centres, Biomethanation Units (BMU), Organic Waste Converters (OWC), Leaf Litter Processing Units (LLPU), Coconut Waste Processing Units (CWPU), Integrated Waste Processing Plants (IWPP), Animal Waste Processing Units, C&D Waste Processing Units, and Waste to Energy (WtE) Plants, showcasing Bengaluru’s commitment to addressing the complexities of waste management head-on.
Bengaluru is tackling its waste management challenges head-on, with a clear roadmap and strategic initiatives aimed at achieving a cleaner city. Our Ward Microplans and investment in waste processing infrastructure are pivotal in this transformation, ensuring that we not only manage our waste efficiently but also empower our sanitation workers and integrate informal sector workers into the formal waste management system.”
Basavaraj R. Kabade
Kabade highlights the city’s innovative approaches, such as the Ward Microplans, which optimise waste collection and transportation, and the investment in stream-wise processing of waste, aiming to increase the processing capacity to 9,000+ TPD by 2030. He also emphasises the importance of integrating the informal sector workers into the waste management system, ensuring their welfare and professionalisation.
The BBMP is not just focused on managing waste but is also dedicated to creating awareness and enabling behaviour change among its citizens. Initiatives such as the Citizen Participation Program, Compost Santhes (markets), and city-wide IEC (information, education, and communication) programs play a crucial role in educating the public about waste segregation, reduction, and responsible disposal.
Looking ahead, the BBMP is exploring new financial mechanisms to create value from waste, leveraging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to generate revenue from dry waste streams, and exploring opportunities for revenue generation from biogas, compost, and power produced from waste-to-energy plants.
