After splitting BBMP, BSWML to independently handle waste in Bengaluru
After the formation of multiple corporations and the establishment of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to coordinate among them, the responsibility for door-to-door waste collection and the integrated solid waste management system in Bengaluru will be handled directly by the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML).
The designated government company will oversee waste management operations across all corporations, much like how water and sewerage services are managed city-wide by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).
Currently, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is in a transition phase. Until new boundaries for the corporations are officially finalised, no fresh tenders for waste management services will be floated, sources said.
According to officials, several rounds of meetings with stakeholders and civic administrators are underway to deliberate on the number of corporations to be created. Sources indicate that authorities are considering dividing BBMP into anywhere between three and five corporations to streamline governance.
In the meantime, sections of civil society are preparing to challenge the constitutional validity of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, in court, raising questions about the broader implications of the restructuring and formation of GBA.
A senior BBMP official told The Hindu that the BSWML will independently handle critical functions such as door-to-door waste collection, transportation, and processing by engaging contractors and companies. Payments to these service providers will be directly handled by BSWML. However, the newly-formed corporations will remain responsible for the payment of salaries to poura karmikas who are employed under the direct payment system.
Recently, BBMP introduced a user fee for waste collection, which is now bundled with property tax. After the corporations are formally established, the same system will continue, with user fee collection being transferred to a dedicated escrow account managed by BSWML.
Presently, the estimated revenue from user fees stands at around ₹750 crore, a figure expected to increase as the GBA's jurisdiction will expand. Officials noted that this revenue will be crucial for funding payments to contractors and companies managing the city's waste management operations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
BBMP demands clarifications on controversial tree proposal
BBMP RLDA Cantonment trees public consultation The railway should respect people's opinions and look for an alternative location. Even the Forest Minister of Karnataka spoke about the protection of the 368 trees Vijay Nishant, Member, Bengaluru Biodiversity Management Committee Karnataka Forest Minister With mounting objections from citizens and environmentalists,has formally requestedto review its controversial plan to cut 368The Forest Department of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has asked the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) to reconsider its proposed commercial project at Cantonment railway station, which has faced severe public backlash since its announcement. According to BBMP's Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF), RLDA has also been asked to furnish a detailed response for every question and query raised by citizens during themeeting held on May 20.'We have asked higher officials of RLDA to reconsider the project, looking at objections raised by the public. Public sentiment is clearly against the proposed project. BBMP has also recorded the proceedings on May 20 and handed it over to RLDA for a detailed response. A general reply to public concerns will not be admissible,' said BLG Swamy, DCF, got to know about the project when BBMP put out a public notice on April 25, stating RLDA's intention to remove 368 trees for commercial development at the Bangalore Cantonment Railway Colony campus. Following the notice, BBMP was flooded with objections against the RLDA officials informed that the project is to ensure a source of revenue for Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Company Limited (K-RIDE). The agency stated that the Bengaluru suburban rail project was approved by the Railway Board with a total cost of Rs 15,767 crore, with a completion period of 6 years. While 20% of this cost is borne by the State government and 20% by the Centre, the remaining 60% is through per RLDA, out of the Railway share of Rs 2,479 crore (20%), Rs 500 crore is through budgetary support and the remaining through the returns of monetisation of land parcels identified in the project tree activists say, after the stormy public consultation held on May 20, RLDA should withdraw the proposal and consider establishing the project at an alternate site.'The railway should respect people's opinions and look for an alternative location. Even the Forest Minister of Karnataka spoke about the protection of the 368 trees proposed to be removed for the project,' said Vijay Nishant, a member of Bengaluru's Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC).Notably, after the public outcry,Eshwar Khandre instructed that action be taken for the protection of the 368 trees on the Cantonment Railway Colony campus proposed to be felled for a commercial project.A letter issued from his office also stated that rules will be framed to bring the request of cutting down more than 50 trees to the notice of the Forest Minister, after obtaining the government's permission.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
BBMP readies 3 lakh notices for owners under-assessing properties
In a crackdown on building owners under-assessing their properties and paying less tax to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the civic body has decided to soon serve notices to around 2.5-3 lakh properties. The notices will come along with fines for concealing the true extent of the built-up area. According to Munish Moudgil, Special Commissioner (Revenue), the BBMP used drones to verify the extent of property declared by the owner under the self-assessment scheme and found that many had under-declared. 'Based on this, we will issue notices to property owners and ask them to pay the tax dues,' he said. According to sources, flaws were detected in almost a sixth of the 20 lakh properties self-assessed by their owners. For instance, under the Self-Assessment Scheme (SAS), a building with five floors had declared it as having only three floors. This was flagged during the drone survey carried out by BBMP in the city limits. In the notices, the BBMP will direct the property owners to pay tax for the total extent of the building, apart from levying penalties for the same. The civic agency could also go for a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme to clear the dues of these property owners, as it did with the property tax defaulters last year, sources added. The SAS, introduced in 2008, has been marred by several issues. In 2022, erstwhile BBMP – now Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) – was flooded with complaints after thousands of property owners were served notices on account of wrong zonal classifications in the SAS portal. Last year, BBMP introduced the OTS scheme for property tax defaulters. Around 3.81 lakh property owners were found to have defaulted on their taxes and were provided a chance to pay by waiving compound interest on arrears and reducing penalties by 50 per cent. The crackdown on under-assessment of properties is expected to generate additional revenue for BBMP, which has a revenue target of around Rs 5,700 crore for the 2025-26 fiscal.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Karnataka pollution control board tightens rules for high-rise projects
BENGALURU : The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has issued a strict directive mandating that before granting plan approval (CC) and occupancy certificate (OC) for multi-storey residential complexes, prior approval and consent from the board must be confirmed. If these clearances are not obtained and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike ( BBMP ) still issues CC and OC, the responsibility will rest entirely with the BBMP. Responding to a letter from BBMP seeking clarification, KSPCB's Member Secretary on May 30 outlined the rules requiring prior consent for establishment (CFE) and consent for operation (CFO) from the board before any such approvals can be issued for multi-storey buildings. Since 2015, it has been mandatory for KSPCB to verify compliance with the Water Act, Air Act, and other environmental protection laws before construction begins. This specifically applies to buildings with over 120 flats within the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) limits. According to sources, this rule aims to prevent construction on lake beds, stormwater canals, and sensitive ecological areas. Projects must allocate space for sewage treatment plants (STPs) and waste management units before seeking approval. Seeking KSPCB consent after construction will not be accepted. BBMP has been strongly advised to ensure prior environmental clearance before granting approvals.
