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Bengaluru generates close to 3500 tonnes of waste each day. Some of it is collected. Some is dumped in vacant places in the city to rot. Some is left on the street. People are left to cope with the unsightly mess, bad smell, mosquitoes, flies and rodents. Stray dogs feast on it and multiply. Plastics clog the drains. Dump yards pollute soil, water and air.  The problem of the city becomes the problem of villages. The management of city waste remains a challenge. The BBMP has a budget of Rs. 160 crores for the year 2010-11. While the earlier contracts for solid waste collection and disposal expired in 2009, a new tender is being called through e-procurement. The draft tender which might be officially launched soon has following challenges that needs answers:

Ø      Does it follow the MoEF MSW Handling Rules, 2000, and Urban Development Department's Policy on MSW

Ø      Whether it provides a process that can lead to end to end (total) solution at the ward level

Ø      Whether the roles and responsibilities of BBMP, contractors and door-step collectors are explicit and apt

Ø      What roles the RWAs/ CBOs/ NGOs play in the process

Ø      Whether it provides for the inputs from the people, who are directly impacted by its launch.

A Public consultation on the draft tender of BBMP on Municipal Solid Waste Management was organized on 16th March 2011 to find answers from the people and following major recommendations among others emerged.

- Publicize the draft Municipal Solid Waste Management tender of BBMP 2011 in public domain (both in Kannada and English) for 30 days and invite public opinion as per the law, before finalizing and calling the tender.

- One contractor to have not more than one package or contract - to increase competition and performance amongst the contractors. As each package includes 3-4 wards, ward-wise sub-contract or sub-plan to be clearly defined in the package so that reviews/monitoring at the ward level are facilitated.

- BBMP should evolve a monthly performance review system through an institutionalised committee consisting of elected representative, officials, RWAs, NGOs and suchi mitras and incorporate this into the contract. Monthly payments should be allowed only after the review.

- The contractual period should be subject to revision every year based on review of the performance at each year-end. If the review reveals that the contractor has not performed up to the mark, he could be black-listed forever. 

- The package and plan for the ward drawn by the BBMP as per the street/area/ward-level statistics should be non-negotiable. No scope should be provided to the contractor to come out with his own work-plan with justification for modification.

- Clear-cut roles and responsibilities should be spelt out with respect to the generators, RWAs/NGOs/CBOs, councilor, contractor and the BBMP/officials in the tender. BBMP should be responsible for ensuring compliance of provisions by both the generator and the contractor.

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