Shady realtors behind protests at landfills: Mayor

Mayor B N Manjunatha Reddy on Friday termed the agitation at Seegehalli and Kannahalli on Magadi Road a  politically motivated.

Corporators  across party lines expressed concern over the poor waste management in the city in the wake of agitations around the waste processing units.

Raking up the issue, former mayor and Basavanagudi BJP corporator B S Sathyanarayana said in the last three-four days, the garbage crisis had worsened and new black spots were emerging.

Joining the discussion, the mayor said for the last two days, the Terra Firma garbage processing unit and landfill was shut down as protesters at Seegehalli and Kannahalli were not letting garbage trucks enter the processing units there.

“Some people who have formed layouts on revenue land without following proper procedures are blocking waste. There are political reasons behind the agitation,” the mayor said.

Reddy said, “The units at Seegehalli and Kannahalli have been following international standards. There, of course, is no denying that these units are emitting some foul smell but not at the scale it has been publicised. The situation is not like Mandur. We will send garbage trucks to these two units from Saturday, the Mayor added.”

Jakkur ward corporator K A Munindra Kumar said BBMP officials had made arrangements to dump waste at Chennihalli Bande near Hegde Nagar but it was stopped. To restart it, Palike officials must take local residents into confidence, he said.

The Mayor said the Palike had decided not to send waste to the Terra Firma units but officials had not made any efforts to identify an alternative location.

BBMP commissioner G Kumar Naik said a few months ago, the Palike did not have a single garbage processing unit but now seven were operational. The situation would improve very soon, he said.
DH News Service