Pourakarmikas oppose GBA’s ‘Dump Garbage at Doorstep’ campaign in Bengaluru

Bengaluru pourakarmikas protest against the new civic drive where garbage is dumped outside offenders’ homes, calling it humiliating and an extra workload.

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) have been running a strict campaign to stop public littering. Under this initiative, officials have been dumping collected waste outside the houses of those caught throwing garbage on streets,  a move that now faces strong resistance from pourakarmikas (sanitation workers).

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Pourakarmika unions argue that while the aim of the campaign may be to create awareness, it has ended up humiliating workers and increasing their workload. Anjaneya, Secretary of the Karnataka State Pourakarmika Mahasangha, said that after garbage is dumped in front of offenders’ homes, it is again the pourakarmikas who must clean it up later, effectively doubling their work.

Workers also claim that this act has led to arguments and clashes with residents. In some places, the public has confronted workers, accusing them of deliberately throwing garbage to shame people. Pourakarmikas say this not only disrespects their dignity but also portrays them as the cause of public anger.

The union has warned that if this practice continues, they will approach the court and file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the civic authorities. They demand that the GBA stop the campaign immediately and rely instead on fines and awareness drives to address littering.

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Meanwhile, BSWML maintains that the initiative aims to make people realise the seriousness of waste dumping. So far, officials claim to have dumped garbage outside over 300 households and imposed fines, along with launching a ₹250 reward scheme for citizens who record videos of offenders.