Bengaluru: Garbage doesn’t take a day off — but it seems some pourakarmikas on duty do. In a surprise Sunday morning inspection, BBMP North City Corporation Commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar found 15 out of 48 sanitation workers missing from duty at the mustering point in Bhuvanagiri Park, Banaswadi. The inspection was conducted following repeated citizen complaints about uncollected garbage and persistent black spots in the area. However, further verification revealed that at least six workers were present but had been falsely recorded as absent by supervisors unfamiliar with their team. The commissioner said such gaps in attendance tracking, supervisors not being present at the site, and weak monitoring mechanisms were among the key reasons behind Bengaluru’s waste management problems. The inspection found supervisor Balaji absent, while supervisor K Suresh Kumar, who arrived only after the commissioner reached the site, had marked attendance incorrectly. Biometric attendance machines installed for monitoring were also found to be non-functional. “I reached the spot by 6am, but I couldn’t see any supervisors. Marking people absent when they are present, and not even knowing who is who — this is the root cause of Bengaluru’s garbage woes,” he said.He added that surprise checks would continue as part of the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s broader effort to enhance waste management and civic accountability, particularly in areas where residents have consistently raised concerns. “We don’t want to shoot the messenger. Citizen complaints are valid, and we will act on them,” he said.The commissioner clarified that the problem did not lie with the pourakarmikas themselves, but with inadequate supervision and accountability. He warned that supervisors found responsible for such lapses could face suspension and directed the department concerned to take appropriate action.
