Trash-burning engulfs Varthur Kodi in nauseating smog

A cloud of smoke rises from the Varthur sky. 

Dry leaves and garbage being burnt surreptitiously at a stormwater drain in Varthur Kodi for more than a month now have filled the area with smog, residents say.

Residents of the Southeast Bengaluru neighbourhood say the fire is lit between evening and late night, resulting in a smog-like situation that lasts from midnight to early morning.

As if this wasn't enough bad enough, ash swept away by the wind is getting into homes, choking residents, they say.

Residents also say their multiple complaints to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) received no response.

In support of their allegation, residents showed pictures of the burning activity that happened as recent as on Thursday evening.

Lakshmikala, who lives in an apartment nearby, said the burning of garbage would get intense during the evening hours.

"It's so intense that the blazing flames and smog last several hours," she said. "It's taking a heavy toll on our health, especially during these times of the coronavirus pandemic."

Srinivasulu K, Member Secretary, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, says they received only one complaint about the matter recently and it was "immediately attended to".

He dismissed residents' claim of dry leaves and garbage being burnt for the past month as "far from the truth".

R Venkatachalapathi, Joint Commissioner, Mahadevapura, BBMP, didn't respond to phone calls and messages from this newspaper seeking comment.