On an average, 2,000 tonnes of municipal waste is generated everyday in Bangalore. Of this, 300 tonnes is taken to Karnataka Compost Development Corporation, another 300 tonnes to scientific landfill in Mavallipura and the remaining allegedly dumped in abandoned quarries or vacant sites.
Yashwanth, a resident of T Thimmaiah Road in Padmanabhanagar, said waste collected in his locality is bdumped in vacant sites.
“Though there are vehicles to carry the collected waste, we hardly see them on roads. BBMP workers dump them in vacant sites, making lives of the people living around miserable.”
Dumping or burning solid waste in open places amounts to violation of Municipal Solid Waste (Maintenance and Handling) Rules, 2000. It is the responsibility of the municipal authority to provide proper infrastructure, regulate storage, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of municipal solid waste. Violation of the rule attracts strict legal action.
Under section 15 of Environment (Protection) Act 1986, guilty may be sentenced to imprisonment up to five years and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh or both.
S N Balasubramaniyam, general secretary, Solid Waste Management Contractors Association, said “As per the rule contractor has to remove wastes dumped by the public in vacant sites. Also, he must use the open space as a collection point and clear the garbage from that point every day, without delay”, he said.
However, he agreed that contractors are facing hardship in finding dumping yards.  “The Palike authorities had announced that scientific landfill at Mandur will be made available by August. But it has not happened. Now they are telling it will be inaugurated in November. If landfills are not set up, finding dumping yards will be a serious problem in the future”, he said.
Mr Ravi Naidu, a contractor of solid waste management in Padmanabhanagar, said ‘It has not come to my notice. I will make arrangements to clear the wastes dumped in the vacant sites within a day’.