Bengaluru: Chicken shops across Bengaluru are likely to remain shut for two days from September 3 as poultry traders protest the proposed service fee for animal waste collection under a new citywide waste management system.
The Karnataka Poultry Traders Association (KPTA) has called for a bandh on September 3 and 4, opposing the plan of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) to introduce a structured system for collecting and processing poultry, fish, pig and other animal waste.
The association has appealed to poultry shop owners to close their establishments and participate in a protest at Freedom Park from 10 am on both days. The key demand is withdrawal of the proposed Rs 5 per kg service charge for animal waste.
Traders oppose proposed waste collection fee
Under the proposed system, BSWML will supervise the doorstep collection, transportation and scientific processing of animal waste generated across Bengaluru’s five city corporations.
Meat and poultry establishments will be required to hand over their waste only to service providers authorised by BSWML. The system is intended to bring the disposal of animal waste under a regulated framework and prevent dumping in public areas and drains.
However, poultry traders have strongly opposed the proposed charges.
According to a GBA tender notification, establishments generating animal waste will have to pay Rs 5 per kg for animal waste and Rs 3 per kg for animal bone waste to authorised service providers.
The KPTA has argued that the waste generated by poultry shops has commercial value and should not be treated simply as material that traders have to pay to dispose of.
Association seeks minimum support price
The poultry traders’ association has demanded that a minimum support price be fixed for poultry waste instead of imposing a collection charge on shopkeepers.
The association said materials such as intestines, skin and bones are collected by private companies and processed into powder, which is subsequently used in products including pet food.
Traders contend that companies involved in the processing chain earn revenue from the waste, while shop owners currently receive little or no benefit from the raw material generated by their businesses.
The KPTA has therefore argued that private companies should purchase the waste from poultry shops rather than charge traders for collecting it.
Chicken shops generate substantial waste
The association estimates that an average chicken shop generates around 32 kg to 35 kg of animal waste every day.
Poultry traders say the proposed Rs 5 per kg charge could therefore add a significant recurring expense to their businesses.
They have warned that shopkeepers could eventually pass the additional cost on to consumers by increasing chicken prices.
The traders have maintained that a system involving payment for the waste would be more appropriate because of its commercial value.
The proposed fee has consequently become the central point of disagreement between the poultry trade and the authorities overseeing the new waste management arrangement.
City plans regulated animal waste disposal
The proposed system comes amid concerns over the unregulated disposal of animal waste in Bengaluru.
BSWML has stated that the city generates nearly 200 tonnes of animal waste every day. A portion of this waste is reportedly dumped in public places and drains, creating sanitation and environmental concerns.
The new system is designed to ensure that animal waste from poultry, fish, pig and other meat-related establishments is collected from the source and transported to authorised facilities for scientific processing.
The authorities hope that centralised and regulated collection will reduce indiscriminate dumping and improve cleanliness in the city.
Under the proposed arrangement, authorised service providers would be responsible for collecting the waste from establishments and transporting it for processing.
Protest planned at Freedom Park
The KPTA has called upon poultry traders across Bengaluru to participate in the two-day bandh and attend the protest at Freedom Park.
The association’s position is that the proposed waste management system should recognise the economic value of animal waste rather than place the entire financial burden of collection on poultry businesses.
Traders have indicated that they are willing to cooperate with a regulated waste management system but want the fee structure reconsidered.
The dispute has therefore brought two competing concerns into focus: the need for Bengaluru to prevent improper disposal of animal waste and the poultry industry’s demand for a commercially fair mechanism for handling waste.
If the bandh goes ahead as announced, residents could face temporary disruption in the availability of fresh chicken from local shops during the two-day protest.
The outcome of the traders’ negotiations with the authorities could determine whether the proposed waste collection charges are implemented in their current form or revised to address the concerns raised by the poultry industry.