Bengaluru, Oct 29 The Karnataka Cabinet has approved the floating of tenders for 10 more packages under Bengaluru’s revamped Solid Waste Management (SWM) system, which will replace ageing garbage collection vehicles with a new fleet and increase the overall waste-handling capacity to more than 9,000 tonnes, Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Thursday.
Out of a total of 33 contract packages decided under the new system, work orders were issued for the five packages in the first round, and now the cabinet approved the floating of tenders for another 10 packages.
The cabinet also decided to hold the winter session from November 30, he said.
Most likely, the session will be held at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi in keeping with the tradition, according to government sources.
Regarding the SWM, the minister for parliamentary affairs and Bengaluru development said the new system, divided into 33 packages, envisages reducing the number of vehicles from around 5,200 to 4,900 while introducing higher-capacity three-wheelers and four-wheelers equipped with GPS devices to ensure garbage collection across the city.
“We have recognised these shortcomings and decided that a new system with new vehicles is necessary,” Gowda told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.
He said the existing fleet of around 5,200 three-wheelers had a combined carrying capacity of approximately 5,600 tonnes, but many vehicles were 15 to 20 years old and unable to operate efficiently.
Under the new arrangement, the number of three-wheelers will be reduced to around 1,900, while approximately 3,000 four-wheelers will be introduced. Some of the new vehicles will have capacities of three tonnes and five tonnes, taking the overall waste collection capacity beyond 9,000 tonnes.
The minister said Geo-Positioning System (GPS) installation would be mandatory across the fleet to ensure vehicles cover every road and collect garbage as required.
Of the 33 packages, work orders for five were awarded in the first round, when the average bid premium was brought down to 14 per cent above the estimated cost after negotiations. The Cabinet has now approved floating of tenders for another 10 packages, with the average premium falling to around eight per cent.
While some packages attracted premiums of around two per cent, others were as high as 13 per cent, he said, adding that the contracts would run for seven years.
Contractors would have to invest in vehicles, personnel and other resources, with the investment for a package estimated at around Rs 10 crore on average, though the amount would vary.
Once all 33 packages are awarded, the total expenditure over seven years could range between Rs 4,000 crore and Rs 4,500 crore, Gowda said. The final cost would depend on the bids and rates fixed for the remaining packages.
Explaining the financial implications, he said the government currently spends around Rs 598 crore annually on primary garbage collection from households and secondary transportation from transfer stations to processing plants. Waste processing costs are separate.
Under the new system, the annual expenditure on primary collection and secondary transportation could increase to around Rs 610 crore to Rs 620 crore if all packages are awarded, he said, adding that the final figure was not yet available.
Regarding proposals to hike government bus fare, Gowda said the Cabinet also discussed the impact of rising fuel prices on state-run transport corporations, but deferred a decision on increasing the fare.
(PTI News)
