2 waste plants planned in DB Pur, but Mayor denies

RTI reply shows Palike bid to build facilities as farmers give GPA

Even as BBMP claims to be in the process of setting up a third waste processing unit near KG Devapala village, Sasalu hobli in Doddaballapur taluk, landowners and villagers seem to be unaware of it.

As per information availed by lawyer T K Hanumantharaju, under the Right to Information Act, the Palike has also obtained General Power of Attorney (GPA) from a few citizens holding land in the village. Villagers and landowners expressed shock when they heard about this.

Keshav M C, who purchased land here 20 years back ago, said, “We have neither given GPA to any individual nor held a meeting with Palike officials. If they set up the plant here, we will hold a massive strike.” Parthasarathy, who holds a land adjoining Devapala village, said that he had not seen any Palike officials inspecting the spot.

The information availed by the lawyer states that the unit would be set up on 74 acres of land at Devapala.

Parthasarthy said, “While farmers have given consent to construct a plant on survey numbers 456, 457 and 458 at Aaroodi village, there is no information available regarding any garbage processing unit at Devapala. Groundwater contamination will happen for sure if the waste processing unit comes up in Devapala at the given survey numbers as a feeder canal is just 500-1,000 metres away.”

Documents suggest that the BBMP officials have inspected the place where the plant would come up and that the civic agency has requested the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board to grant them No Objection Certificate.

On December 12, 2013, a meeting was held in the city wherein farmers gave the GPA and agreed to part with their land if the civic agency pays them appropriate prices, the RTI reply said.

As farmers have agreed, the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board has completed the land acquisition process and has requested farmers to hand over the land to BBMP, reveals the RTI reply.

Hanumantharaju said BBMP planned to set up another plant on 400 acres near Aaroodi. “If both units start functioning, the taluk will have four plants,” he said.

When contacted, Mayor Manjunatha Reddy told Deccan Herald the information given by the lawyer was false. “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has promised that no more waste processing plants would come up at Doddaballapur taluk, barring the present two (MSGP and Terra Firma).