Karnataka High Court lays road map for tech-driven approach to tackle waste management

The Karnataka High Court recently ordered the creation of a technology and data-driven solid waste management framework for Bengaluru [BS Kiran Kumar and ors V State of Karnataka]..In the November 3 order, Justice Suraj Govindaraj observed that unauthorised waste dumping poses a serious threat to public health."This Court is of the considered opinion that the management of solid waste is not merely a statutory duty of the municipal corporations but a profound constitutional obligation, inextricably linked to the fundamental Right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India ... The Right to a clean, hygienic, and dignified environment is not a privilege to be bestowed but a right to be enforced," it added. .The Court proceeded to order the creation of a unified digital platform that could streamline waste management and ensure a cleaner city."It is hereby directed that the Chief Commissioner of the Greater Bangalore Authority, along with the Zonal Commissioners of each of the Corporations coming under the GBA, with the assistance of the Principal Secretary, e-Governance Department, Government of Karnataka, shall forthwith commence the design, development, and implementation of a single, unified, and integrated digital platform for Solid Waste Management for the city of Bengaluru," the Court ordered. .The Court further issued a slew of directions to ensure a technology and data-driven approach to tackling waste management, including:- The creation of a digital dashboard and mobile application for citizens to track waste collection vehicles in real time, view ward-wise performance scorecards, and lodge geo-tagged complaints of waste management lapses, with photos for quick grievance redressal.- The time-bound installation of CCTV cameras to surveil garbage 'black spots and identify those who violate waste management norms. Directions have also been issued to ensure that the CCTV cameras are placed in a manner that does not intrude into private property, for restrictions on who may access recorded camera footage, strong end-to-end encryption of recorded CCTV footage, and for the automatic deletion of such footage after a certain time period (75 days) has elapsed.- A survey of waste collection areas in the city, which are to be categorised into four types depending on how vulnerable the area is when it comes to garbage dumping.- The framing of a Special Operation Protocol (SOP) for surveillance operations and data management to ensure that the citizens' right to privacy is protected alongside the launch of CCTV surveillance of waste dumps.- The setting up of grievance redressal mechanisms with a dedicated helpline and online portal. The grievance redressal mechanism would also be for those who want to file appeals against penalties for alleged violations of waste dumping norms- Public notification of CCTV surveillance of garbage spots. The Court has ordered that conspicuous signboards shall be installed at all locations under surveillance. These signboards shall be bilingual (Kannada and English) and shall clearly state: "This area is under CCTV surveillance for Solid Waste Management enforcement."- Measures to allow live-tracking of waste collection vehicles, creation of optimised routes for waste collection, and much more. .Timelines have been laid down as well for the implementation of these detailed directions. The Court also ordered the creation of a multi-disciplinary body known as the Nodal Oversight and Implementation Committee to oversee the implementation of its directions. This committee is to be set up within 15 days of the order, the Court said. The committee has been ordered to file a Detailed Project Report within six weeks of the date of the order. Further, the Court has said it will continue to monitor the case. As part of this effort, the committee is expected to submit quarterly compliance reports, the first of which is to be filed within 90 days of the date of the order. .The Court was hearing a petition filed by various solid waste management contractors who challenged a tender notification issued by the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) for solid waste collection and transportation in Bengaluru.The tender notification issued on July 30, 2025, in respect of 33 packages (contract zones), replaced the previous scheme of having tenders issued in respect of 89 packages.The petitioners submitted that the reduction of packages made it difficult for smaller contractors to qualify for the tender. They argued that the change in the tender conditions was arbitrary and favoured larger companies.The State authorities, however, maintained that the new tender was issued for better efficiency and effective monitoring of waste management. They explained that the earlier ward-wise contracts led to poor coordination and weak supervision, resulting in inefficiency.The Court agreed with the State's stance and dismissed the contractors' plea. "The change of the tender from ward-wise to multiple wards cannot be said to be arbitrary or unreasonable given the circumstances which have been taken into account by the tender issuing authority ... the change in the financial and/or technical requirement will not come in the way of the petitioners coming together to submit their bid as a consortium, and therefore, the same would not be violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India," it held. However, the Court then proceeded to take judicial notice of the larger problem of ineffective solid waste management in Bengaluru. After issuing its detailed directives to combat this problem, the Court has listed the matter for further hearing on December 10. .Senior Advocate Udaya Holla and Advocate Maya Holla appeared for the petitioners (contractors). High Court Government Pleader Anukanksha Kalkeri represented the State of Karnataka.Senior Advocate K Shashi Kiran Shetty, and Advocates Namitha Mahesh., Prashanth Chandra appeared for the State's waste management authorities and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). .[Read Order].Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.