But it is yet to streamline the garbage collection and disposal system, despite forming an exclusive environment cell.

The cell, formed in July 2009, is yet to commence functioning. With about eight environment engineers and ward engineers, it is unable to handle solid waste management system.

The door-to-door garbage collection has become irregular, indiscriminate dumping of garbage continues and the segregation of garbage is yet to start.

All these issues were supposed to be tackled by the cell. But the problems have only aggravated ever since it was formed. With just eight environment engineers and ward engineers, the cell has failed to monitor garbage collection, besides its transportation and disposal.

BBMP’s decision of shifting the responsibility of management of solid waste from the health department to the ward engineers, who do not have expertise in public health, is the reason for the environment cell not being able to discharge its functions properly.

“Garbage disposal was regular when it was handled by the health department. But the only issue was that there was limited space to dump garbage. There were just two landfill sites and there was a space crunch to dispose the garbage,” said an health official of BBMP.

However, after the formation of the cell, the situation has become worse. Garbage collection and its indiscriminate dumping has not been tackled, the official said.

“Recruitment of more environment engineers will happen soon and we are working on streamlining the cell. Issues like collection of garbage, its transportation, segregation and disposal will be tackled,” said a senior BBMP official.

BBMP had said that it had written to the Karnataka Public Service Commission with regard to recruiting more engineers. But so far, nothing has happened.

Solid waste management was earlier handled by BBMP’s health department.

But in November 2008, it was entrusted to the ward engineers and environment engineers.

The decision to form a separate environment cell was taken so that the cell can exclusively handle solid waste management, similar to the system followed in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. But it doesn’t seem to have clicked, at least till now.