BBMP wakes up two months late to trash burning in Varthur Kodi

There has been no end to the burning of leaves and garbage in Varthur Kodi, even two months after area residents complained to the civic authorities.

Nauseating smoke from the fire engulfs residential areas around the waterbody and ashes from burnt materials are swept into homes.

DH had reported the matter on February 18, 2021, and alerted the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The civic body acknowledged the problem and promised immediate action but little of it reflects on ground.

Residents say they feel choked by the burning garbage and find it hard to clean the ashes swept into their homes by the smoke.

Read: Trash-burning engulfs Varthur Kodi in nauseating smog

Bindhu Mohan, who lives in the Prestige Ozone apartments, says the burning of leaves and garbage never stopped in the past two months despite complaining to the BBMP. “We got in touch with the area BBMP health officer, and the officer promised to deploy marshals to look into the issue and catch hold of the people causing the smoke,” Bindhu said. “It has been weeks but no action has been taken.”

Providing photographs and videos of the smoke around the residential area, Bindhu stated that BBMP marshals would arrive only after the smoke starts and fail to catch hold of the culprits.

Sarfaraz Khan, Joint Commissioner, Solid Waste Management, BBMP, promised to look into the problem. “There was a similar situation a few years ago, and action was taken. I will ask the officers concerned to look into it again,” he said.

R Venkatachalapathi, the BBMP joint commissioner for Mahadevapura, has instructed Rajbir Singh, Chief Marshal Officer, to look into the matter immediately and register a complaint against those burning garbage in the area.