Mandur residents do a Mavallipura, oppose landfill

Residents of areas in the vicinity of BBMP’s Mandur landfill seem to have taken cue from people of Mavallipura, whose agitation led to the closure of the garbage dump yard there.

Newspapers and TV channels had reported in the past few days that the garbage dumped at Mavallipura spread diseases among the people.

Around 700 tonnes of the City’s waste is disposed of on a regular basis at the Mandur garbage dump yard, situated between KR Puram and Hoskote. The Palike is diverting the garbage to Mandur and Terrafirma on Doddaballapur Road, after the closure of the Mavallipura landfill.

Drivers of garbage trucks have faced stiff resistance from agitators at Mandur in the last few days. There have been instances of stones being pelted at the vehicles to prevent garbage being dumped at the landfill. The drivers have reported the matter to the officials in the BBMP and sought security.

Vinayaka, a resident of Mandur, said the closure of the Mavallipura dump yard had resulted in a manifold increase in the number of garbage-loaded trucks plying to his village.

He said, “The stench is unbearable whenever wind blows from the landfill towards our village.”

However, BBMP authorities contended that the landfill at Mandur was a better managed one. They saw ulterior motives behind the agitation.

Many international institutions have come up around Mandur in the recent past. Real estate developers are offering less for land in the village, citing the existence of the landfill.

Huge cost for Palike

The permanent closure of the Mavallipura landfill will cost BBMP a staggering Rs 30 crore more per annum for garbage disposal.

Even before the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) directed the Palike to close the Mavallipura landfill, it was compelled to divert truckloads of garbage to landfills in Mandur near Hoskote and Terrafirma on Doddaballapur Road, following agitation by people living in the vicinity of the Mavallipura landfill.

Mandur and Terrafirma are farther from certain areas in the City than Mavallipura. The new arrangement is costing additional labour charges and fuel consumption.

An assessment of the additional amount Palike spent in the last one month gave a clear hint that it would have to spend somewhere around Rs 2.5 crore a month, which comes to Rs 30 crore annually. If the additional amount spent on garbage is divided among the nine lakh property taxpayers in the City, each will have to bear an extra Rs 335 annually.

Reacting to the KSPCB’s order to shut down Mavallipura landfill, BBMP Commissioner M K Shankaralinge Gowda had told Deccan Herald that the Palike would have no choice, but increase garbage cess.