Bengaluru: Mounds of construction debris and years of accumulated waste have become a familiar sight across the city, blighting public spaces and creating a persistent civic problem. After years of unchecked illegal dumping, the state govt Saturday launched a month-long ‘Freedom from Waste’ campaign to clear accumulated waste and tighten enforcement against violators.Chief minister DK Shivakumar inaugurated the drive by symbolically shovelling debris into a tractor near the Hebbal flyover, at a Metro construction site where large quantities of silt and excavated soil have accumulated. The campaign targets construction and demolition (C&D) waste, debris, silt, vegetation, and legacy waste dumped on roads, footpaths, public spaces, and govt land across the city.Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) has engaged Chaitra Civil Ventures LLP to collect and transport C&D waste to designated disposal sites. Around 70 trucks have been deployed in the first phase, with another 200 expected to join later. The fleet has been distributed across the city’s five corporations.Govt is yet to clarify whether owners of private vacant plots can hire private transporters directly or must use only BSWML-authorised operators. However, each of the five city corporations will publish a list of approved vendors from whom plot owners can choose. The transportation charge has been fixed at Rs 760.5 a tonne.Temporary dumping, processing laterAlthough Bengaluru has two operational C&D waste processing plants and three more under construction, waste collected during the campaign will initially be dumped at five designated quarries, one in each city corporation. Officials said there are no immediate plans to process the debris collected during the drive. The long-term objective is to scientifically process accumulated C&D waste and inert material, but the immediate priority is to clear years of waste from public spaces.Bengaluru development minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the campaign is intended as a one-time citywide clean-up. Property owners have been given until August 15 to remove debris and waste from their vacant sites. “After the deadline, Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will undertake the cleaning and recover the cost from owners,” he said.Until Aug 15, city corporations will clear construction debris, silt, vegetation and other waste dumped on roads and govt land, while waste on private plots will remain the responsibility of owners.To curb fresh violations, BSWML has made it mandatory for every vehicle transporting C&D waste to be registered with the agency and fitted with GPS tracking so that waste is taken only to authorised disposal sites identified by GBA.CM orders seizure of offending vehiclesAcknowledging that earlier enforcement measures had failed to permanently curb illegal dumping, Shivakumar directed city police to seize vehicles found transporting or dumping C&D waste at unauthorised locations.Recalling an earlier crackdown, he said notices issued to violators had briefly reduced illegal dumping, but the problem soon resurfaced.“I’m now directing city police to seize vehicles transporting and dumping C&D waste anywhere other than designated locations. Vehicle operators must be careful while disposing of waste as they stand to lose their vehicles permanently,” he said.The chief minister said keeping Bengaluru clean is not solely govt’s responsibility and urged citizens to play an active role in maintaining public spaces.Union minister Shobha Karandlaje, who attended the launch, said strengthening door-to-door waste collection remains the most effective way to prevent garbage from being dumped in public places. She called for consistent waste collection and greater public participation to ensure a cleaner Bengaluru.
