Burning garbage posing health hazard in Bangarpet village

Garbage crisis is looming large over Bangarpet with the garbage processing unit yet to begin functioning.

As much as 24 metric tonnes of garbage from Bangarpet town is being duped on five acres of land near Byadabale, according to the villagers. A large number of dogs could be seen around the garbage mound as they scatter garbage for meat. Not only that, these stray dogs have turned ferocious and attacked livestock of the villagers.

Moreover, Karabele forest sprawls for more than 200 acres close to this landfill. This forest had more than 70 peacocks and six deers. The pack of dogs at the garbage mound attack these wild animals. Furthermore, they had made life miserable for the people of nearby villages such as Kanimbele and Kuppanahalli, according to Niranjan, a resident of Byadabele.

The garbage dumped here is being set on fire. Thick smoke billowing out from burning garbage has been posing health hazard for local residents. It has also been causing environmental pollution, villagers say.

Cattle which feed on garbage eat plastic too, killing them in some cases. There are also been a rise in fly menace as a result of which chikkoo grown on 40 acres of land has been damaged, said Babu, also a resident of Byadabale.

The villagers said that their frequent complaints to the offcials of Town Municipality have not been acted upon.

Except fogging, the local authority had done nothing to address the problem, they complained.

The villagers have demanded the municipality to set up a garbage processing unit at the earliest failing which they would resort to protest and even boycott elections to Taluk and Zilla Panchayats.

Municipality Environment Engineer Theerthaprasad said that garbage processing and sorting machine had been purchased at a cost of Rs 44 lakh and the equipment required for setting up garbage processing unit would be supplied soon.