Trash crisis: KSPCB slaps notice on Palike

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has served a show-cause notice on the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Commissioner M Lakshminarayana asking him why criminal proceedings should not be initiated against him for his failure to resolve the garbage problem in the City and reduce the transportation of trash to Mandur.

Confirming this to Deccan Herald, KSPCB chairperson Vaman Acharya said there was pressure from various quarters, including the courts and the Lokayukta, to fix responsibility on authorities which have failed in their duties.

“Garbage is purely a government and BBMP business. Yet, we were repeatedly asked what action we at the KSPCB have taken to tackle the problem. We were asked to fix responsibility either on our officials or the BBMP. We have been telling people that we do not have enough powers, but there was  pressure on us. So, we have issued a show cause notice,” said Acharya, adding that he signed the show-cause notice a few days ago.

While appreciating the initiatives of Darpan Jain, BBMP’s Special Commissioner for Solid Waste Management, in dealing with the garbage menace, Acharya said a lot more needs to be done in order to stop sending waste to Mandur.

“Platforms have been created for garbage processing at seven to eight places, but commissioning will take at least a year or so. We don't think that dumping would completely stop in one month's time given the kind of setup we have in India.

We are also watching whether dumping would completely stop at Mandur,” said Acharya.

He said the BBMP had chosen some places to dump waste, which the KSPCB would not allow at any cost.

It is learnt that there was tremendous pressure on the KSPCB from certain high offices in the State government to withdraw the notice.