Govt planning Black Soldier Fly composting in Bengaluru, says Deputy CM D K Shivakumar

Belagavi: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday announced his plans to introduce the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) technique of composting in Bengaluru to help the city fight its garbage problem.

Shivakumar, the Bengaluru Urban Development minister, said this while replying to a question raised by Doddaballapur BJP MLA Dheeraj Muniraju who opposed the government’s plan to restart a shut waste processing plant in his constituency.

The Black Soldier Fly (BSF) technique has been tried in Mangaluru, Shivakumar said. “There’s a good project in Mangaluru. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned it. The Black Soldier Fly eats (waste) and makes compost. I want to introduce this in Bengaluru,” Shivakumar said in the Assembly.

Black Soldier Flies are known to break down organic waste and turn it into rich compost.

New plants

The government has identified two locations -- north and south -- where waste processing plants will come up. In the north, the government has identified 134 acres at Doddabelavangala in Doddaballapur where the now-defunct Terrafirma plant is located. Down south, the government has eyed 84 acres in Gollahalli, Uttarahalli.

“The same Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, in 2016, had shut down the Terrafirma plant for pollution. There are 25 lakh tonnes of waste still dumped there. People don’t want the plant to be restarted,” Muniraju said.

Shivakumar said the government is introducing “the latest technology” in the new plants.

“I understand Muniraju’s pain. Bengaluru and its surroundings generate 8,000 tonnes of waste. Where should we put it?” Shivakumar said.

Shivakumar said the new Dodabballapur plant has all the necessary clearances. “Earlier, a private firm ran it. Now, the government is taking over. We want to have scientific plants to generate biogas and energy,” he said.

Garbage mafia: R Ashoka prods Shivakumar

Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka urged Shivakumar to enact a law declaring waste management as an essential service in order to rein in the ‘garbage mafia’ in Bengaluru.

Ashoka said that he tried fighting the ‘garbage mafia’ when he was the minister in charge of Bengaluru. “They stopped lifting garbage. Pressure mounted and we had to request them to resume work,” he said. “Congress attacked us (BJP government) with a ‘Garbage City’ campaign. The situation is now worse and Shivakumar is realising the depth of the problem,” he added.

“Bring a law...declare waste management as an essential service. We’lll help you pass this law and defeat the mafia,” Ashoka said. Shivakumar said he would examine this suggestion.