BSWML to empanel more waste vendors to end bulk generator monopoly in Bengaluru
On July 15, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda announced that Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) will empanel additional vendors to collect waste from bulk generators across Bengaluru. The move aims to dismantle a monopoly held by the current five empanelled companies, which has prevented citizens from negotiating lower waste disposal rates. The implementation of the new system is expected to take at least three months.
Currently, BSWML has empanelled only five companies, assigning one to each corporation. This structure has led to widespread complaints from citizens and bulk waste generators who argue that the lack of competition forces them to pay higher rates for waste disposal.
Under the existing setup, most empanelled vendors charge the maximum government-fixed rate of ₹12 per kg. Before BSWML mandated that bulk waste could only be handed over to empanelled vendors, private operators charged significantly less.
Minister Gowda clarified that ₹12 per kg is the maximum permitted rate and that customers have the right to bargain. He stated that the government has instructed vendors to charge around ₹8 per kg and urged stakeholders to negotiate. However, citizens have pointed out that bargaining is virtually impossible when there is only one assigned vendor per corporation, leaving them with no alternative service providers.
An official source from BSWML confirmed that the process to empanel more vendors has been initiated. However, because the current vendors hold one-year contracts, the new empanelments will be scheduled to align with the expiry of those existing contracts, meaning the transition will take at least three months to implement.
Minister Gowda also warned bulk generators against using non-empanelled private vendors. He alleged that these unauthorized operators collect disposal fees but fail to process the waste, often dumping it on public streets or in government facilities.
Currently, bulk waste generators in Bengaluru have three options for waste disposal: hand it over to one of the empanelled vendors, manage and process the segregated waste themselves, or pay BSWML directly at the rate of ₹12 per kg.
