Fire at SWM plant sparked by garbage-burning in nearby plantation: BBMP

Chikkanagamangala residents had struggled to breathe when smoke billowed out from a fire that broke out at a solid waste treatment plant run by the Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on March 28. The Palike now claims that garbage burning in a neighbouring plantation was what triggered it.

Since many years, the stench from the plant had already been a source of trouble for residents. The unattended fire that lasted for over three days only added to their problems.

On residents’ complaints about the smoke, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) had taken cognisance and ordered the BBMP to submit a report on what caused the fire and smoke.

The Palike’s Joint Commissioner (SWM) Sarfaraz Khan had this to say: “The fire was caused accidentally due to illegal garbage burning inside a plantation located next to the SWM plant. With heavy winds blowing, fire from the plantation spread across to the garbage quarry in the SWM plant, which led to the fire. It was doused once it came to our notice.”

He continued: “We inspected the plant and the neighbouring plantation on Wednesday. No burning has taken place inside the plant after the incident. Action will be taken against those who were burning garbage in the neighbouring plantation."

But residents had their own side of the story. Shwethanshu Sinha, a resident of Chikkanagamangala said, “Smoke coming out of the SWM plant has become a part of our life as it has been happening for more than 2-3 years now. The recent fire at the plant made it very difficult for us to breathe.”

Sinha said there was a smog like situation in the area for more than two days. “Even after the fire was doused, smoke has been coming out of the SWM plant on a regular basis during night times. Recently I had to wake up at 3 in the morning as our entire residence was filled with smoke.”

The Palike officials keep stating that the garbage is regularly burnt by miscreants outside the plant. “But they have not put in any effort to nab the miscreants for several years now,” Sinha added.