The Bangalore Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) plans to increase the supply of sorted dry waste to the Bidadi waste-to-power plant from the current 200 Metric Tonnes (MT) to 500MT per day by the end of the month.

BSWML Chief Executive Officer Karee Gowda, who inspected the facility, said the step aims to reduce dependence on Mandur’s legacy waste units, which currently supply 400MT of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) daily. The Bidadi plant is jointly operated by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) – formerly BBMP – and the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL).

“The engineers have been instructed to speed up segregation at the source and achieve the 500MT daily target. By November-end, we plan to completely stop sourcing RDF from Mandur,” Gowda stated. The Bidadi plant currently generates 11.5MW of electricity each day.

Improved Segregation and Reduced Landfill Load According to BSWML engineers, door-to-door segregation of dry waste has reduced the number of compactors going to landfills—from 390 to 340 last month. Bengaluru generates nearly 6,000MT of waste daily, with an estimated 35 per cent comprising plastic. Recyclable plastic is processed through dry waste facilities, while low-grade plastic is sent to the power plant.

Powering 25,000 Homes KPCL Executive Engineer Satish Kumar said the plant currently powers around 25,000 households, with the potential to double capacity if segregation is further improved.

Built on a Design, Finance, Construct, Operate and Transfer (DFCO&T) model, the Bidadi facility spans 163 acres of KPCL-owned land. Kumar added that the plant complies with Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) norms and operates with strict environmental safeguards to prevent air pollution and odour.