Bengaluru: For the first time, Bengaluru will have a city-wide system to track the generation, collection and processing of animal waste. Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) have mandated licensed meat, poultry, fish and pork shops to hand over their waste only to authorised agencies.Indian Bone Meal Industries will collect bone waste from all five corporations.The move seeks to address a longstanding gap in Bengaluru’s waste management system. Civic officials said despite thousands of meat and fish shops operating across the city, there has been no reliable mechanism to track the daily generation of animal waste, its collection or its final destination.Under the new arrangement, BSWML has empanelled five authorised agencies, one for each of Bengaluru’s five city corporations, to collect, transport and scientifically process animal waste. While these agencies will handle meat waste, Indian Bone Meal Industries has been empanelled exclusively to collect and process bone waste generated across all five corporations.The agencies have processing facilities certified by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and will be responsible for the end-to-end management of the waste stream.According to the notification, meat and bone waste will be collected separately, with vendors required to pay Rs 5 per kg for animal waste and Rs 3 per kg for bone waste. Officials said the segregation is necessary as the two waste streams require different processing methods and have different commercial value in the recycling chain.Shops already geo-mappedBSWML officials said the groundwork for the system has already been completed. The agency has surveyed and geo-mapped 5,194 meat, poultry and fish shops across Bengaluru, creating a database of waste generators.The empanelled agencies will now visit these establishments regularly to collect the waste. Instead of shops paying the agencies directly, collection charges will be routed through BSWML, which will pay the vendors at rates finalised through the tendering process.“Until now, there was no proper mechanism to track animal waste generated in the city. We did not know how much was being generated or where it ended up after leaving the shops. Under the new system, every stage, from generation to processing, will be monitored,” a senior BSWML official said.The official said the framework would also help curb the dumping of animal waste in stormwater drains, vacant plots and roadsides — a practice that has contributed to foul odour, clogged drains and public health concerns in several parts of the city.Checking unauthorised collectionOfficials said another objective is to curb the unauthorised collection and handling of animal waste. With all licensed shops mapped and assigned to authorised collectors, BSWML expects to have greater oversight of the movement of waste and ensure that the material is handled only by approved processors.“The agencies empanelled by BSWML have processing plants and all the required clearances. They will handle the collection, transportation and scientific processing of the waste. The by-products generated are also put to use, ensuring that the waste does not end up in landfills or public spaces,” the official said.BSWML has warned that establishments failing to hand over waste to authorised collectors could face penalties. A first violation will attract a fine of Rs 2,000, while a second will invite a penalty of Rs 3,000. Repeated violations could lead to cancellation of trade licences and legal action under relevant municipal and environmental laws.Officials said the system would not only improve sanitation but also give Bengaluru its first comprehensive database on animal waste generation, enabling better planning, monitoring and enforcement in the years ahead.
