Five dry waste collection units have caught fire over the past few days in possible cases of sabotage.
Bengaluru has 141 dry waste collection centres. About 10-15 people work in each centre after the BBMP regularised the services of waste collectors and ragpickers.
On Monday night, fire engulfed the dry waste collection centre run by Hasiru Dala in Kumaraswamy Layout. "There was no short circuit in an electric unit. The sudden fire burnt the waste-processing machine and other equipment," a BBMP official said.
The "accident" came days after similar incidents in Gottigere, JP Nagar, Ganesh Mandir and Marathahalli.
Workers said it was an act of arson by those trying to make money from garbage collection. "The regularisation of waste pickers has hurt those who had turned into into a profitable business," they said. The BBMP has complained to the police.
Published 10 February 2021, 20:13 IST