Mandur landfill to reopen, but only for three months

There seems to be some respite in sight to the garbage crisis in the City, what with the villagers living around the Mandur landfill agreeing to allow dumping of waste — albeit for three months — in the rubbish yard.

The decision came after Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar met the villagers on Thursday and convinced them that best practices, along the lines of Japan and China, would be followed in disposing of waste.

The village leaders heeded Shettar’s plea and agreed to give the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike three months’ time to dispose of garbage at Mandur landfill till a new place was identified for dumping waste. The chief minister also told them that the BBMP would devise ways to dispose of garbage at the local level, instead of mindlessly dumping it in landfills. Shettar, who announced a health package for the villagers, assured them that the BBMP would provide them drinking water and organise health camps.

Villagers divided

There were, however, some dissenting voices. Nandeesh Gowda, convener, Mandur Village Environment Protection Group, told Deccan Herald that the local BJP leaders had worked a solution to the garbage crisis, keeping in view the dilemma of the BBMP administration. “The arrangement we have arrived at is only for a month. Once the deadline is over, we will stop all the vehicles from entering our village,” said Gowda.

Some villagers were totally opposed to dumping of waste in Mandur. N Chandrashekhar, member, Mandur panchayat, said the local administration had not agreed to allow waste dumping in the area. “There is no question of the village panchayat giving permission to dump garbage in Mandur,” he said.

He said the BBMP and the company which manages the landfill had betrayed the locals to such an extent that they cannot trust them anymore. “Our village has suffered a heavy loss. Our cattle have died, flies and mosquito menace have aggravated and no remedy has been found to check air and water pollution in the last seven years. There are hollow assurances galore, so there is no question of trusting the BBMP or the State government,” said Chandrashekhar.