768 garbage blackspots identified: Bengaluru races against time to clean up ahead of Swachh Sarvekshan 2026

Despite daily cleaning, illegal dumping continues at hundreds of locations. BSWML, city corporations, and GBA step up enforcement, technology, and monitoring to improve Bengaluru’s cleanliness ranking.

With Swachh Sarvekshan 2026 set to begin in March, Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd. (BSWML) has identified 768 garbage blackspots across the city, intensifying its efforts to clean up chronic dumping zones. The move follows Bengaluru’s disappointing 36th rank among 40 Indian cities with over one million population in 2025, prompting urgent corrective action.

According to official data, pourakarmikas are clearing waste daily at 757 of the 768 identified blackspots. However, authorities admit that garbage is repeatedly dumped at the same locations, turning the clean-up drive into a continuous battle. To tackle this, BSWML and the five city corporations have rolled out a series of strict and innovative measures.

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These include installing CCTV cameras, beautifying blackspot areas, cordoning off dumping zones using screens, tracking the source of illegally dumped waste, and returning garbage to the homes of violators. Despite these steps, the persistence of blackspots highlights behavioural challenges and gaps in waste collection systems.

Among the five corporations, Bengaluru North City Corporation, which alone accounts for 157 blackspots, has taken a technological leap. The corporation has procured a vacuum-based litter picking machine that clears waste using suction through a hosepipe. Commissioner P. Sunil Kumar said the machine would reduce the physical burden on pourakarmikas, cut cleaning time by more than half, and effectively remove dry leaves and liquid waste. Currently deployed on a pilot basis, the machine’s expansion will depend on public and operational feedback.

Meanwhile, Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao acknowledged persistent problems in garbage collection timings, stating that residents who miss doorstep collection often resort to open dumping. He assured that corrective measures are underway. Earlier proposals such as early morning waste collection and twice-daily pickup have yet to be fully implemented.

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