Doddaballapur villagers feel 'short-changed' by government

Disappointed that CM promised to shut just one waste-processing unit

Villagers living near the two waste-processing units in Doddaballapur taluk may have withdrawn their protest against dumping of garbage, but they feel the government has short-changed them.

They withdrew their protest on Friday evening after their leaders met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Hanumantha Swami, head of Yelerampura Mutt in Koratagere, Tumakuru district, who led the protest earlier, said their demand for closure of the two units — run by the MSGP and Terra Firma — had not been met.

“The chief minister assured that only the Terra Firma unit would be closed by March-end. The MSGP unit, which has been functioning since last year, will continue to operate,” he said. “We can’t say the garbage problem has been fully resolved.”

Channagowda, a resident of Bhaktharahalli village, said there was no clear word yet from the government on whether or not it would set up two new units at Aaroodi and Devapala villages in Doddaballapur taluk. The BBMP is said to be making preparations to set up the units at these places, he said.

Ashwath Narayan Swamy, one of the protesters who attended the meeting, said he was hopeful that the chief minister would keep his word.

“Siddaramaiah had earlier assured the people of Mandur that dumping of garbage there would stop from December 1, 2014, onwards. They stopped dumping garbage there nine days before the deadline. Hence, we are optimistic about the assurance given at the meeting,” he said but hastened to add that if the government failed to keep its word, they would hold a hunger strike.

Some women at the protest site, however, cried foul, saying that like every meeting with the government, Friday’s interaction, too, failed to fully address their grievances.

“We have been fighting for the last five days. Even schoolchildren took part in the strike, skipping classes. We had hoped the protest would succeed this time and garbage will not be dumped here any more,” they said in unison.

The women are from Gundalahalli, Thannirahalli, Appegowdanapalya, Khalipalya and other villages. They also complained that just two women were allowed to attend the meeting with Siddaramaiah.