The BBMP expert committee on SWM has recommended to commissioner Siddaiah to set up such a cell. Speaking to Express, N S Ramakanth, a committee member, said, “In order to hold someone accountable for garbage disposal, we have recommended the setting-up of a dedicated cell for solid waste management.

In our recommendations, we have not asked for additional manpower. Instead, excess staff from other divisions will be roped in,” he said.

Sources in BBMP said the cell will have a set of officials, including an additional commissioner. At present, Ramandeep Choudhary, an IAS officer, has been given the post. There will be two chief engineers to assist him. Apart from them, there will also be one superintendent engineer at every zone, assistant environmental engineer at the division level and one health inspector at each ward. 

“All these days, civil engineers in many wards were made in charge of garbage clearance. Now, the committee has recommended to replace them with environmental engineers,” a source said. In the first week of April, Siddaiah had promised the High Court to set up dry waste collection centres at all the 198 wards by the month-end. However, BBMP sought an extension and asked for a month’s time as officials were deputed on election duty.

The case will again come up this month-end.

A senior official said they will also submit the recommendations made by the expert committee on setting up of the SWM cell.