'Indore cracked it, but Bengaluru...': Biocon chairperson slams big cities' garbage crisis

Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Thursday called out the persistent issue of poor garbage management in major cities, particularly Bengaluru, stressing that other cities like Indore and Surat have successfully tackled the problem while cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru continue to struggle. 

"Garbage is a serious malaise countrywide n no municipality of big cities has managed to solve it. Indore n Surat seemed to have cracked it but mumbai delhi Bengaluru etc haven’t. Very very pathetic which shows citizens lack of civic sense n huge apathy by both citizens n administration. We lack pride," Mazumdar-Shaw posted on X.

In the last few days, Mazumdar-Shaw called for improvements in garbage clearance and road resurfacing. On Monday, she shared a visiting overseas business executive's scathing comments on Bengaluru's crumbling infrastructure.

Citing the visitor, Shaw wrote: "Why are the roads so bad and why is there so much garbage around? Doesn't the Govt want to support investment? I have just come from China and can't understand why India can’t get its act together, especially when the winds are favourable?'"  

Her comments, however, evoked some critical commentaries from state ministers, who suggested that she was targeting only the Karnataka goverment, while other cities too have infrastructure and garbage problems. Karnataka Congress Minister Santosh Lad accused Mazumdar-Shaw of not speaking against the central government.

She responded saying, "All I am seeking is garbage clearance n road resurfacing which ought to be done by the GBA. Govt Ministers need to hold them responsible n accountable for shoddy and slow work. Here Govt n Citizens need to be on the same page. If garbage mafia is not doing their job then we."

On Wednesday, Mazumdar-Shaw addressed the failure of past governments in dealing with the issue of infrastructure, saying, "We are in this dire situation because of past Govts failure to act in time. This Government has the opportunity to change this n act fast to fix these decades of deteriorating infrastructure and garbage management."

As criticism against the state government mounted, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar urged the industry leaders to stop "hurting" the city and the state that have contributed to their growth. Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, appealed to industry leaders not to forget their "roots" - Bengaluru, Karnataka, and its people-and asked them to be patient, stressing that "there is a limitation for everything."