Citizens turn old garbage dump into Kabbadi stadium

A plot in Seegehalli, near KR Puram which was a garbage dump for four years has now turned to a mini Kabaddi stadium.

The stadium was the venue for a contest in which 45 Kabaddi teams from across the state and Tamil Nadu took part on Sunday.

Two teams from Seegehalli participated and one among them won the cup. The tournament drew over 500 players.

"We started clearing the land on October 15 and within 10 days we were done," said Sampath Ramanujam, founder of Anvaya Foundation, which took the initiative to clear the garbage.

The foundation comprises software professionals and residents from the nearby apartments. The cleaning of the ground was later supported by the local gram panchayat and its residents who pooled in money.

Ramanujam said,"The garbage site was a mosquito menace where BBMP trucks dumped waste; even medical waste."

"We complained to BBMP officials many times, but nothing changed," said Ramanujam. He added the tournament drew teams from Mysore, Mandya, Tamil Nadu among others.

"We plan to maintain this land as a stadium for Kabbadi and other sports," he added.