Bengaluru: Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) is set to float tenders worth Rs 125.5 crore for three large Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to process 1,226 tonnes of dry waste daily. The move is aimed at reducing the city’s dependence on landfills while strengthening recycling and scientific waste segregation systems.This will be BSWML’s third attempt to award the projects. “We had no bidders for the past two bids. We will soon call for the third bid,” a BSWML official said. The proposed facilities will come up at Tharahunase, Subbarayanapalya and Doddabidarakallu. Of the three, the Tharahunase plant will be the largest, designed to process 826 tonnes per day (TPD) at an estimated cost of Rs 76.4 crore. The other two facilities, at Subbarayanapalya and Doddabidarakallu, will each process 200 TPD and are estimated to cost Rs 20.7 crore and Rs 28.4 crore, respectively.The projects will be executed through a turnkey design-build-transfer model, with contractors responsible for design, construction, installation and commissioning, and must be completed within 12 months of award.The projects are being proposed under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0. According to BSWML, the city generates nearly 6,500 tonnes of solid waste daily, excluding bulk waste.Unlike conventional dumping systems, MRFs are planned as mechanised processing hubs equipped with conveyor belts, trommels, vibratory screens, magnetic separators, air classifiers, shredders and balers to segregate recyclable materials and produce refuse-derived fuel (RDF).The projects, open to manufacturers, firms and consortiums, aim to maximise recyclable recovery, cut transportation and disposal costs, extend landfill lifespan and generate livelihood opportunities.The facilities will also include pre-engineered sheds, storage spaces, weighbridges, RFID-enabled scanners, odour-control systems, leachate collection tanks and digital monitoring systems intended to improve tracking and accountability in waste movement.BSWML said the projects are aligned with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, which emphasise maximum resource recovery and prohibit untreated waste from being sent to landfills.While Bengaluru currently has around 112 dry waste collection centres, officials said the proposed MRFs are intended to process dry waste in much larger volumes and improve deeper segregation of recyclable materials before they are sent to recycling industries.
