Bengaluru: The state govt’s push to outsource urban waste management to private players is yielding mixed results. While processing gains have been significant, persistent gaps are pushing unhandled waste into rural areas. Municipal administration minister Rahim Khan said waste management has been outsourced in 98 cities under a hire model, with the govt paying private agencies between Rs 234 and Rs 1,227 per tonne across three companies. The state has 321 urban local bodies and four notified areas. Detailed project reports for 222 ULBs have been cleared, and 94 with more than 20,000 tonnes of legacy waste were identified for tendering. Of these, 82 ULBs are operational under the outsourced model and have collectively bioremediated 36.2 lakh tonnes of legacy waste. Despite this progress, inefficiencies remain. Outside Bengaluru, ULBs generate 7,204 tonnes of waste daily, of which 83.3% is processed. However, 293 tonnes remain uncollected, and of the 7,011 tonnes collected, 923 tonnes are left unprocessed. Another 124 ULBs with smaller waste volumes continue to rely on in-house systems. A concern flagged by legislators in the recent budget session of the legislature is the spillover impact on rural areas. Though laws prohibit open dumping and burning, enforcement remains weak, allowing unprocessed urban waste to be dumped in villages. DS Arun, BJP MLC, said, “City waste is being dumped in villages. The issue is only getting worse as management appears to have been taken over by a mafia.” He pointed to structural issues in the system, including underestimation of waste generation. “Corporations often miscalculate waste by relying on population estimates, resulting in tenders for only about 50% of actual waste,” Arun said. He also highlighted poor segregation at source and weak oversight. “Contractors, who are expected to upcycle and recycle waste, often dump unprocessed waste in landfills and nearby villages. This defeats the purpose of waste management,” he said. Arun added that rural communities are bearing an unfair burden despite following relatively sustainable waste practices. Khan said the govt would take appropriate action to address the concerns.
