Residents seek closure of KCDC plant, sign plea

More than 3,200 residents have started an online petition demanding the closure of the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC) plant in Somasundarapalya near HSR Layout.

According to Ravinder Banyal, a resident in Somasundarapalya, increased intake of waste in the plant is resulting in foul smell.

“The plant has a capacity of 70 tonnes but is processing about 200 tonnes of waste every day. This has resulted in foul smell which spreads up to two kilometres,” said Banyal.

At least 25,000 people in Somasundarapalya and HSR Layout who are affected by the smell are demanding closure of the plant.

Though residents had approached the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), they got no relief. “They asked us why we had built our houses in buffer zones. We built our houses since the BBMP had given the permission. Now officials say we have violated rules and that is why some residents are scared to come out openly to sign the petition,” said Banyal. “We are just concerned about the health of the people living here,” the aggrieved resident added.

The plant, which was opened in 1975, was closed in 2000 as residents had complained about the stench. But it was reopened in 2013 after a high court directive.

HSR Layout corporator Gurumurthy Reddy said, “We don’t have any hope about the closure of the plant as long as this government is in power. During the BJP government, we were successful in closing the plant, keeping in mind the health of residents.”

BBMP joint commissioner for Health Sarfaraz Khan was unavailable for comment.