Dear community,
Came across this interesting news  piece about the challenge posed by the 'garbage mafia' in improving solid waste management in Bengaluru, the fifth largest city in India.  The following quote demonstrates the hold they have over garbage collection in the city

Each time the government tries to tighten its grip or take back control of waste management, these workers are forced to go on strike, leaving the city in a stinking mess. The government then buckles under pressure and criticism from the larger public, returning to the lobby to clear the mess

The article points to several ways in which mafia undermines governance:

• Filing a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) to stop the government from taking steps to clear the garbage issue.
• Forming a powerful cartel to raise tender prices by 85 percent.
• Inflating the estimate of waste generated in the city to secure larger contracts.
• Underpaying and exploiting workers, mostly from the most oppressed communities, under these contractors.

This is perhaps the first instance of a senior political leader openly admitting helplessness in tackling such entrenched interests.  For a professional community like ours, the situation  raises important questions:

1. Are there examples Bengaluru can learn from - cities that managed to shift from such entrenched political–contractor nexuses to more transparent, accountable arrangements?
2. What reforms—policy, institutional, or citizen-led—can realistically dismantle such entrenched arrangements?
3. What lessons might Bengaluru’s situation hold for improving governance of outsourced municipal services in other cities?
   

I’d be keen to hear experiences from other contexts where cities have managed to reclaim control from powerful lobbies and establish more equitable and resilient waste management systems. Please feel free to include examples from other sectors as well, this is probably a cross-cutting issue across the development sector. 

Regards
paresh