'Real estate lobby blocking land acquisition for waste processing'

Facing criticism for its poor handling of the garbage problem, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Tuesday blamed the real estate lobby, saying it was obstructing the Palike’s efforts to acquire land for setting up garbage processing units. 

Speaking in the BBMP Council, Palike Commissioner M Lakshminarayana said: “We face strong opposition wherever we go for land acquisition. We had built a boundary wall at Chikkanagamangala near Electronics City which was demolished the next day. 

Some builders have opposed the project. We have asked the tahsildar to resurvey our property. We need the local MLA’s support to go ahead with the project.” Explaining the Palike’s efforts to solve the garbage problem, Lakshminarayana said four projects had been approved and work orders given in two. 

The four projects are: A five-acre unit by Noble Exchange Solutions at Kannahalli with a capacity to process 100 tonnes of garbage; a 500-tonne unit by Essel Group on 15 acres of land; a 500-tonne unit by MSGB Group on 125 acres of land near Doddaballapur (it will become operational in August-September), and a 700-tonne unit on Solur-Dobbespet by the Sataram Group which will become functional soon. At least 900 tonnes of waste are segregated and recycled in the City, the Palike chief added. 

Some corporators suggested equal distribution of wards in each zone to solve the garbage problem. More wards in any zone would make it difficult for the respective zonal commissioner, they felt. 

Inquiry into ad scam 

The BBMP commissioner has ordered an inquiry into the alleged advertisement scam which pertains to the existence of illegal hoardings on major roads despite his order on their removal. The inquiry will be conducted by the Additional Commissioner, Hemaji Nayak. 

535 hoardings

The corporators blamed the officials for the mushrooming of unauthorised hoardings across the City. 

Nagapura corporator S Harish said that despite orders by the BBMP commissioner to remove 535 hoardings and an endorsement of the same by the City Police Commissioner, the billboards had remained intact. 

He wondered whether the commissioner’s directions did not mean anything to Palike officials.