Quite a few bulk generator communities across the city are in a quandary. The reason? Vendors, who are not empanelled with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), want waste to be handed over to them alone.
The situation seems to have arisen after the one-year term of the empanelled vendors ended more than four months ago and the BBMP is yet to notify a new panel of vendors.
According to a resident of an apartment complex on Sarjapur Main Road, a particular vendor has approached quite a few bulk generators in Bellandur area and demanded that the solid waste generated by them be handed over only to him. “The particular vendor claimed to be authorised by the ward office and dropped names. Even the documents that he produced didn’t seem genuine,” the resident said.
Another resident alleged that though their apartment complex already had a vendor, the new vendor threatened him (the vendor). “When we already have a vendor, why will we move to some random vendor? The new vendor should give us a good deal, charge less for providing the same services. We will not cow down to some ‘goondagiri’,” the resident claimed.
Solid waste management expert N.S. Ramakanth said that the vendors going around threatening residents only want to collect waste to further their “business”. “This is happening across the city. We do not know how these vendors are processing the waste or if they are randomly dumping waste by lake beds or vacant sites.”
Terming them as “garbage mafia”, he said they can be controlled only if the BBMP notifies a new panel of vendors.
Asked if the BBMP has received complaints about vendors threatening residents, Sarfaraz Khan, BBMP’s Joint Commissioner (Health and Solid Waste Management), said he had not received any.
“We can take action only if some resident or residents’ association lodges a formal complaint.”
Admitting that the one-year term for the empanelled vendors had lapsed, he said that the BBMP was pushing for in situ waste management.
“However, we realise that many bulk generators may not have space for in situ arrangements. For such generators, we will need to have a panel of vendors. This will be decided during the next meeting with Solid Waste Management Expert Committee,” he added.