Seven old waste plants may lie unused as BSWML proposes to open four new ones

Bengaluru: With Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) proposing to open four waste-processing plants on the city’s outskirts, seven existing facilities created less than a decade ago will likely become redundant. 

It is noteworthy that four of these seven plants had remained shut for a long time despite the government investing Rs 450 crore in 2014-15.

Experts are skeptical of the BSWML’s fresh proposal. 

Besides capital investment, Bengaluru's civic body has spent a whopping Rs 565 crore to operate waste-processing plants at Seegehalli, Doddabidarakallu, Kannahalli, Lingadheeranahalli and Subbarayanapalya, which come under the Yeshwantpur assembly constituency.

Of these, only Kannahalli processes about 300 tonnes of waste a day, while the rest receive waste from only 5-10 compactors. 

The other two plants are located at Kudlu and Chikkanagamangala. 

To get rid of landfill sites, the state government had established the five plants, along with those in Kudlu and Chikkanagamangala, to process 2,000 tonnes of waste a day. But since these plants could process only half the required capacity, a large volume of waste continued to make its way to landfill sites. 

Senior BSWML officials say most of these waste-processing plants would be repurposed as dry waste collection centres. 

"There is a lot of opposition to shut these plants as many houses have started coming up around them. Once the four new plants are established, all the city’s waste will be sent to these facilities. Private players will process the waste as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) rules. Not more than 10-15% of the waste will be sent to the landfill sites," he said. 

Experts recall similar promises made in 2014-15 when the BBMP established seven waste-processing and biomethanisation plants, which have remained shut than being used. 

Pinky Chandran, trustee, Solid Waste Management Roundtable (SWMRT), said the BSWML was going backwards with its plan to take waste to the far-flung areas, which would only lead to environmental pollution. 

"Bengaluru, as a city, was very progressive. When we had the whole issue of waste being sent to landfill sites, the BBMP created processing plants and composting units. There was also a report on a future without landfill sites. Instead of focusing on the good steps, the civic body is moving backwards," she explained. The BBMP, she added, should not rely on somebody else’s backyard to dump the city’s waste. 

Kavitha Reddy, who lives close to the KCDC plant in Kudlu, said residents were against the unit as it emitted a foul smell. "By creating a new plant elsewhere, some other villages will be in trouble. We must first fix the collection of waste by ensuring 100% segregation," she said. 

Another solid waste management expert said the BSWML’s grand plan would work if only the waste generated at the source was brought down. She recalled Delhi's waste-to-energy plant, which has become a health hazard for local residents. She also highlighted the high transportation costs.