Apartment associations oppose high fee for garbage collection by BBMP arm BSWML

BENGALURU: Residents of apartments in the city are unhappy with the the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) plan to collect a user fee for disposing garbage from the next financial year. The BBMP plans to do away with private contractors and entrust the task to its own arm, the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML).

The Palike has proposed a cess of Rs 12 per kg of garbage, which will bring in huge revenue, especially from large apartment complexes. However, residents of apartments have vented their ire saying this is another move by the government, which is cash-strapped, to raise revenue to fund the guarantee schemes.

BBMP marshalls holding a meeting with office-bearers of an apartment owners’ association in Jalahalli.

Earlier, private agencies would sort garbage at a cost of Rs 5 per kg. Even small apartments generate about 12-20 kg of waste daily and at the rate of Rs 12 per kg, the BSWML will be raking in crores. But apartment associations feel that the BBMP should continue with the private agencies and it would increase their costs.

Casa Serena Apartment Owners’ Association secretary M N Harish Dali

Casa Serena Apartment Owners’ Association secretary M N Harish Dali, a resident of Jalahalli, said, “The present government is doing this only to reduce its burden of financing the guarantee schemes. Private agencies have been disposing garbage generated from bulk generators like apartments an hotels. Our monthly cost was about Rs 12,00 to Rs 15,000, but as per the BSWML’s plans, we may have to shell out Rs 80,000-1,00,000 per month. It is wrong to penalise citizens for funding the guarantee schemes. We are opposing this, we have already complained to the apartment owners’ federation and the local MLA”.