BBMP garbage cess shock

BBMP will be imposing a hefty Solid Waste Management cess on Bengaluru citizens from the new year.

The cess will be charged via the BESCOM bill. Rs. 200 will be charged per electricity meter.It is not clear as of now if GST will be added to the bill.

Citizens furious over the decision

“BBMP is abruptly charging its citizens in these challenging times when a global pandemic is on, it is a burden on us,” says Vanajakshi, a Telecom Layout resident.

“BBMP is already charging property owners a garbage cess & other cess. We will be overburdened with a monthly cess which is much more than a single newspaper’s monthly bill,” said house owner Manjunath Shastry from Yelahanka.

“We have been burdened enough with road taxes, house tax & others. Additional SWM charge is merciless & unacceptable”, exclaims Manjula, a resident of HBR Layout.

Landfills in the outskirts of Bengaluru is filling up fast and the need to advancement in garbage management by BBMP is crucial now, more than ever.

What can BBMP change with the collection of extra charges is a question being asked.

“If there is a proper waste management system in the city, why are the landfills filling up so fast? How much of solid waste is recycled in the recycling units? Can BBMP give statistics to its citizens? This move is to mislead people and it is a money racket”, says Shivanand Bhat, a Residents Welfare Association Member.

While, Shekhar, a resident at KPC layout, Sarjapur Road, says that they have multiple electricity sub-meters in one residence and are finding the move by BBMP senseless. “BBMP has not justified its decision to charge this way, its atrocious”, he adds. When North BangalorePost quizzed a BBMP officer about its SWM charges, he said that BBMP waste management has significantly created awareness on waste segregation.

Digital means and interactive sessions are in place to encourage citizens to segregate waste at source, all part of painstaking efforts to reduce waste at source. More than anything else, citizens contribution is vital in reducing the waste. Now that the landfills are filling up rapidly, its time to get new innovation & methods to reduce waste, but it comes at a cost. “On BBMP social media we have done very interesting campaigns on reducing and segregating waste at source. We have engaged with citizens since 2019 September and through the pandemic,” the officer