Bangalore to Test Blockchain Tech in Garbage Complaint Redressal System

Municipal Corporation of Bangalore, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), has announced that the body, along with non-profit (Citizen Involved & Technology assisted Governance) is all set to start a pilot project that will implement blockchain technology to make its Garbage-related complaint redressal systems more transparent and accountable.
CITAG, which is an all-hands-meet initiative involving active citizens to take up the issue of Solid Waste Management in the city of Bangalore, will fund this blockchain project.
The project will be funded by the fellowship that Captain Manivannan, a senior Karnataka-based IAS officer, has obtained from Harvard University.
As a metro city, Bangalore has seen unprecedented development in every angle in the past decade which has resulted in unmanageable amounts of garbage being produced each day. It is believed that Bangalore produces tons of garbage daily which is segregated into wet and dry waste largely. Landfills have reached the brim and the city’s garbage management problems are inching towards dangerous levels.
According to the project, which is expected to begin in the first week of June, the complaints regarding garbage can be posted online and the reactions as well as satisfaction to the steps taken to address his/her complaint will be visible to public online. Here, the blockchain will ensure the level of transparency as it is not centralized and this in turn will put some pressure on officials who have to deliver on the ground so that it reflects online.
Based on the success of the pilot project, the BBMP will decide if it will be expanded.
Randeep D, BBMP Special Commissioner, said in a statement to The News Minute, “CITAG approached us with a proposal that they would develop a blockchain-based complaints grievance system at their own cost. Blockchain technology will make it tamper-proof. So all players on the platform can see actions that have been taken regarding a complaint. There is a lot of data integrity and transparency involved in having such a blockchain-based helpline. Different stages of the redressal will be visible to everybody.
Based on the success of the pilot project, the BBMP will decide if it will be expanded.
BBMP is the fourth largest Municipal Corporation in India being responsible for a population of 6.8 million in an area of 741 Sq. Km, according to Wikipedia.
CITAG intends to use technological innovations to tackle the issues of Solid Waste Management by involving citizens of Bengaluru and government bodies as well. CITAG aims to create an effective and sustainable ‘Participative Governance Platform’, that ensures transparent and accountable systems.