JOIN US The residents of Mandur remained indoors as ban orders under Section 144 of the CrPC remained in force for the fourth consecutive day in the village in the wake of protests against dumping of garbage at the landfill site.
Amid tight security, nearly 200 truckloads of garbage from the City were dumped at the landfill site. Strong protests had broken out against what the villagers call deception by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
However, suppressing the protest using the police force could not reduce the anger simmering in the village. Chandrashekar, a Gram Panchayat member, said, “We have been cheated but ironically our voices against the deception have been suppressed.”
The villagers said that the Bangalore Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy and the BBMP Commissioner Rajneesh Goel had promised them that a Letter of Intent to stop dumping of waste in their village from February 1 next year will be given to them. However, it has not been handed over to them till now.
"So far nobody has come forward to give us a copy of the letter. The heavy presence of armed police has outnumbered us. So we are silent today," Chandrashekhar said.
Due to the tension at Mandur, the BBMP has intensified its efforts to melt the garbage mound at the landfill sites. It has also started to review various proposals to meet the goal. So far, it has received 37 proposals and the expert committee constituted by the State government on December 7 to reduce the garbage mound will take a decision within a fortnight. On Wednesday, the committee went through the presentations made by nine companies willing to undertake the task.
Bio-mining
These mountains of filth at Mandur, Mavallipura, Bingipura, Cheemasandra and Anjanapura will be reduced using methods like bio-mining, composting bio-methanisation, bio-gas and waste to energy. The Palike is insisting on a public private partnership, where it will assist the firms to achieve the objective.
Parameshwaraiah, a member of the expert panel, said the Committee would check the feasibility of the technologies these firms bring in. “Proposals would be reviewed based on how the task can be executed in an eco-friendly and time-bound manner,” he said. The companies will have to establish their units within 18 months after accepting the proposal, he added.