'Incompetence': Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw blasts BBMP for poor waste management in Bengaluru

Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Tuesday criticised the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for its failure to manage garbage and debris, describing the city as "filthy" due to a combination of civic negligence and the lack of competent waste management systems.

"A combination of lack of civic sense and the incompetence of @bbmp in managing city garbage and debris has made our city filthy," Mazumdar-Shaw wrote on X. "Citizens must cooperate by not dumping garbage and creating ugly dark spots. Pourvakarmikas need to be given better equipment and training to keep our city clean. Zonal commissioners need to take ownership of SWM." 

Mazumdar-Shaw's remarks highlighted growing frustration with Bengaluru's civic issues, including the persistent garbage problem and poorly managed infrastructure. Prominent voices, including that of Mohandas Pai, have raised concerns about the deteriorating conditions of the city's infrastructure and its inability to manage basic civic services.

In July 2025, following Bengaluru's ranking as the fifth dirtiest among major Indian cities in the Swachh Survekshan 2025, Pai expressed his disappointment, calling it a "big shame" for the city and the state. "We have a city corporation @BBMPCOMM and government @CMofKarnataka @siddaramaiah @DKShivakumar which cannot even keep the city clean! Terrible governance," Pai said.

This is the second time within a week Mazumdar-Shaw slammed the authorities. Last week, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) shared a video showing before-and-after images of garbage removal and footpath restoration in Malleswaram. The video highlighted the clean-up of an area outside the BBMP school, where residents had been dumping trash. While the GBA praised its own efforts, many pointed to shoddy finishing and poor quality of the work.

Mazumdar-Shaw also commented on the GBA's initiative: "Are you really proud of this? You reclaimed the footpath, but it's still shoddily finished. Full marks for effort, but please ensure good quality finishing," she said. Her criticism was echoed by other social media users, with one commenting, "Benchmark is so low for municipal corporations that any shoddy work they do, they feel as if they deserve a Nobel prize."

Many residents complained that the clean-up work was only superficial and did not address the issue of waste management. Some questioned where the garbage that had been removed from Malleswaram had been dumped, suggesting that the effort would soon be followed by another "blackspot" post showcasing similar issues elsewhere in the city.