Bengaluru
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Karnataka Minister for Bengaluru Development K Krishna Byre Gowda has announced that Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will roll out a month-long ‘Freedom from Waste’ campaign starting August 1 to remove garbage, construction debris and mud that have accumulated across the city. The announcement was made during a review meeting with officials from the city’s five municipal corporations.
The campaign will bring together all five city corporations along with Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), Bengaluru Metro, K-RIDE, the Railways and other government agencies.
During the meet, Byre Gowda has directed owners of vacant sites to clear weeds, overgrown vegetation and dumped waste by August 15 or risk paying the price. If they fail to do so, the respective city corporation will step in, clear the plots and recover the cost by adding it to the property’s tax dues.
He said that the responsibility for keeping vacant plots clean rests with property owners. Those who ignore the directive will have their sites cleaned by civic authorities, with the entire cost recovered through their property tax bills.
Byre Gowda also said that years of unchecked dumping and ongoing infrastructure work have left many roads lined with heaps of debris and soil, affecting both public spaces and the city’s appearance. He specifically pointed to Metro and K-RIDE project sites, where large piles of earth have accumulated, and asked the agencies concerned to clear them as part of the drive.
Around 22,732 tonnes of waste spread across 1,616 locations has been identified in Bengaluru. Departments have now been asked to prepare detailed plans to ensure the waste is cleared during the month-long campaign.
The government also announced stricter monitoring of construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Going forward, every vehicle transporting C&D waste must be registered and equipped with a GPS tracking device to help authorities monitor movement and curb illegal dumping.
