Residents to don surgical masks to protest air pollution

Protesting the dumping of garbage and burning it before their buildings, residents of apartments from Art of Living to Brigade Meadows along Kanakapura Road will don surgical masks.

They will also form a human chain, barricade the garbage piles for 30 minutes and march towards the panchayat office in Kaggalipura to submit a petition on the issue to the officer.

"This was once a lake," said a resident, who did not wish to be named. "Now, of course, it's a veritable dumping yard. Daily, 20 to 30 garbage trucks empty their contents here. To reduce the quantity of the garbage, they set fire to it. This has been going on for two years."

Amit Chandra Vutha, another resident of the area, said the acrid smoke emanating from the burnt pile of waste is affecting 3,000 residents living closer to the area. The smoke has left many with a persistent burning feeling in their eyes.

"I know a family who had to take their children to hospital since they had the burning sensation in their eyes," Vutha said.

The burning of garbage piles start at 10 am and go on for two hours, while residents are not spared from the ordeal even during the night time, he said.

Residents have complained several times over the years, but authorities have virtually turned a blind eye to the issue. "Only the panchayat development officer had promised that he would do something," he added.