Stir at garbage processing units ends

Villagers protesting against dumping of garbage at two waste processing units in Doddaballapur taluk called off their strike on Friday evening after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured that Terra Firma unit at Gundalahalli will be closed by March.

The chief minister also assured villagers that steps will be taken to increase the processing capacity of MSGP waste processing unit.

During a meeting with the representatives of the communities living near the two units, Siddaramaiah assured that the government will try to find a permanent solution to their problems by the end of the year.

A team of 20 local representatives who attended the meeting said they would respect the chief minister’s assurance and wait till March. Siddaramaiah attributed unscientific processing of waste at two units to the persisting garbage crisis.

“The waste is not dumped according to capacity of the units. Hence, the villagers are holding protests,” he said. The chief minister also promised the locals that he would visit the waste processing units in December and by the end of December, the quantity of waste being sent to the units will be limited to 600 tonnes per day.

The meeting that lasted for more than three hours at the chief minister’s home office “Krishna” saw Siddaramaiah taking the BBMP and BWSSB officials to task for not taking adequate measures to provide facilities to the citizens staying close to these waste processing units.

Leaders from Doddaballapur highlighted their woes ranging from water contamination, health issues and lack of facilities to apathy of government authorities towards their problems.

The chief minister, who listened to them with rapt attention, directed civic agencies to depute doctors to the villages and also to set up processing units to stop the flow of polluted water into lakes in the taluk.

Siddaramaiah also said that trucks carrying garbage from BBMP limits should install speed-control devices and speed breakers should be placed on the routes to the waste processing units to avoid accidents.

Meanwhile, the situation returned to normal at Doddamankalala in Doddaballapur taluk where the protest was on since the last five days.

Rajanna T V, a local, said that they directed people to end the protest and allow garbage trucks to enter the waste processing units from Friday night.