Stir at waste processing sites escalates

During the festive season when a huge quantity of waste is generated, garbage crisis is threatening to return to the City following an indefinite protest by people living around Terra Firma and MSGP waste processing units in neighbouring Doddaballapur taluk since Sunday.

The BBMP is struggling to find a way out to dispose of the waste. Around 200 truck loads of garbage from the City is sent to the two units every day. Following the protest, not a single truck was allowed to carry waste to the processing units since Sunday morning.

This meant that the Palike had to make alternative arrangements to dispose around 400 truck loads of garbage over the past two days. Waste collected from Dasarahalli, Mahadevapura and East zones were earlier sent to the waste processing units in Doddaballapur taluk. Some of the garbage from the three zones is being sent to Doddabidarakallu and other landfills.

BBMP Joint Commissioner (West zone) Lakshminarasaiah told Deccan Herald on Monday that about 20 trucks of waste were sent to Mavallipura landfill on Sunday and another 42 trucks on Monday. Joint Commissioner (Mahadevapura zone) Umanand Rai said that waste from his zone was segregated and wet waste was handed over to the farmers on Monday.

“We will send waste to Terra Firma from Tuesday in accordance with BBMP Commissioner's instructions,” he added. Officials from East zone said that the lorries carrying waste from the zone have been stationed at Terra Firma and MSGP. Garbage collected on Monday remained in compactors and was not sent to the units. People living in the vicinity of the two units took to the streets and staged a demonstration near Doddamankalala on Monday.

They protested against BBMP for not honouring its assurance that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and city in-charge minister Ramalinga Reddy would visit the area by October 29 and address their problems.

The protesters carried bottles of poison and threatened to consume it if the civic agency continued to turn a blind eye to their problems. BBMP Joint Commissioner (West zone) met the protesters and tried in vain to persuade them to withdraw the agitation. However, the  villagers did not relent.