Karnataka government to invite tenders for 80 dry waste units in Bengaluru

The Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) has announced that it has identified more than 80 illegal Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs) which are operating across Karnataka’s capital city, even though their contracts expired in 2020. Moreover, BSWML is mulling to invite fresh tenders for 118 DWCCs within a week to address the issue of waste in Bengaluru.

Officials said the unauthorised centres continue to function without proper scientific waste processing, violating operational guidelines. Meanwhile, around 20 authorised DWCCs have shut down, forcing residents to mix dry waste with regular garbage—adding pressure on the city’s already overburdened landfills.

To address the issue, BSWML plans to invite fresh tenders for 118 DWCCs within a week. Karee Gowda, Managing Director, BSWML said that the department will open participation to waste pickers, self-help groups (SHGs), NGOs, and contractors. Once the new tenders are awarded, the collection and segregation of dry waste will be significantly strengthened, he stated.

When the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) managed the system in 2020, tenders were issued for three-year contracts.

The MD mentioned that many of these agencies continued their operations against the law even when the contractual period had come to an end.

As per reports, 22 DWCCs across the Greater Bengaluru area have already been upgraded with heavy machinery, including conveyor belts, doubling their daily handling capacity from two to four tonnes.

Each centre employs about five workers who sort up to one tonne of materials such as plastic, cardboard and paper per shift.

It was held that the plant’s capacity doubles when operated in two shifts. It sorts waste into 23 to 46 different categories, with plastics alone divided into multiple subtypes. Recyclable materials are dispatched to recycling units, while non-recyclable items such as soiled footwear and clothing are sent to the Bidadi energy plant, where they are incinerated to produce electricity.