Bangalore’s unprecedented fall into the depths of waste management standards has triggered global attention, even a dramatic New York Times article.

While many took offence at this inglorious attack on the city’s image, the civic agencies might have to depend on international help to arrest this dangerous slide into absolute chaos. German help, to be precise. On a visit to Bangalore, the German State Secretary for Economic Cooperation, Gudrun Kopp elaborated on this vital input and how the experience of Germany’s enduring 12-year partnership with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) on waste management might just turn the tide.