The Central Business District (CBD) of Bengaluru is grappling with a shortage of public litter bins, leaving business owners, residents, and civic groups worried. Despite witnessing heavy foot traffic daily, the number of bins has dropped drastically in key areas like Church Street, MG Road, and Cubbon Park.
Officials say this is intentional. “We’ve reduced bins to avoid black spots and encourage people to manage waste at home,” explained Maheshwar Rao, BBMP’s Chief Commissioner. However, he added that the entire waste management system will be reviewed.
On Church Street, for instance, bin numbers have dropped from 20 to 7 since its 2020 revamp. The UnboxingBlr Foundation, which maintains the stretch through an MoU with the BBMP, claims the remaining bins are recycled and better in quality. They’ve also hired two sweepers working from 4 pm to 11 pm, six days a week.
Yet residents say it’s not enough. Sanjay Kumar, head of a local RWA, highlighted that nighttime waste collection continues, but more bins would help, especially with increasing footfall.
Meanwhile, MG Road bins are overflowing or damaged, and Cubbon Park has fewer bins now, many of which go unused. Commercial Street, although relatively clean, lacks bins altogether.
Urban experts like Arun Pai argue that the real issue isn’t just the number of bins, but the frequency of cleaning. “Bins must be cleared multiple times daily to match public usage,” he said.