In 2008, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) rapped the then-Bengaluru Municipal Corporation, BMP, and pointed out they had not put in efforts to ensure segregation of municipal solid wastes at source, which made processing of the waste difficult. The situation did not change even after six years—CAG repeated the observation in their 2014 report.
In 2008 and again in 2014, the CAG report points out that the BBMP has no system in place for waste segregation or scientific processing at landfills, which has led to ecological and environmental burden.
Biomedical waste is another area of mismanagement. The CAG points out that despite non-compliance, the two companies in-charge of collecting and treating Biomedical wastes—Semb Ramky Environmental Management Pvt. Ltd and Maridi Eco Industries Pvt Limited—were paid in full and not held accountable.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India assists the legislature in enforcing the accountability of the government departments. The main sources of audit criteria in evaluating the performance of SWM were:
- The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 (MSW Rules);
- The Biomedical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 (BMW Rules)
- The plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011
- Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act, 1999 and rules thereunder;
- Government orders, notifications, instructions and meeting proceedings.
Below is a quick comparison of the points in the Executive Summary on the BBMP’s Solid Waste management in the ‘Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Local Bodies’ of 2008 and 2014:
|
Subject/Area |
CAG Report 2008 |
CAG Report 2014 |
|
Waste segregation |
Lack of sustained efforts to secure community participation and involvement of non-governmental organisations for segregation of municipal solid wastes at source rendered the processing of the wastes difficult. |
A performance audit of solid waste management in BBMP showed the absence of a notified policy for solid waste management, resulting in lack of direction for effective management and scientific disposal of waste. There was not much effort made to promote waste segregation. |
|
Financial discrepancies |
Due to delay in acquisition of landfill sites, their development and purchase of tools and equipment for solid waste management, Rs. 85.63 crore remained unspent with the urban local body. |
BBMP lost the assistance of 280.17 crore due to delay in preparation of Master Plan. Cases of improprieties in contract management of works relating to waste management wherein payment of 630.28 crore made to contractors for packages and additional works were also observed. |
|
Scientific processing at landfills |
Lack of scientific processing facilities at landfill sites and non-compliance by the urban local bodies with the processing procedure prescribed by the Directorate of Municipal Administration resulted in open dumping of mixed wastes leading to environmental pollution. |
Lack of scientific processing facilities at landfill sites and non-compliance with the rules resulted in open dumping of mixed waste leading to environmental pollution. |
|
Ecological & Environmental burden |
Disposal of untreated and unsegregated solid wastes in eco-sensitive forest lands had endangered the wild life. |
The main objectives of minimising the burden on the landfills, as envisaged in Municipal Solid Waste Rules and prevention of environmental degradation were not achieved. |
|
Disposal of Biomedical wastes (BMW) |
Disposal of biomedical waste by health care establishments situated in places with population less than five lakh was totally in disregard to the BMW management rules resulting in environmental pollution. BMW handed over to a Common BMW Treatment and Disposal Facility at Bellary was not handled in accordance with rules resulting in environmental pollution. |
Despite non-compliance, the two companies in-charge of collecting and treating Biomedical wastes were paid in full and not held accountable. BMW Registers for the period prior to December 2010 had not been maintained in the test-checked Referral hospitals. |
|
Monitoring |
Lack of monitoring by the State Pollution Control Board resulted in unscientific disposal of municipal solid wastes and biomedical wastes endangering public health and water resources. |
Lack of monitoring by BBMP and Urban Development Department resulted in unscientific disposal of wastes posing potential public health hazards. |
Repeated observations over a period of six years seem to imply that scarce notice is taken of the CAG’s suggestions, and the municipal administrations, BMP and BBMP, continued to operate without much change in the working style.
CAG report for 2008:
CAG Report – 2008 on BBMP waste management by ShreeDN
CAG report for 2014 on BBMP expenditure:
CAG report-2014 on BBMP by ShreeDN
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