Talks between Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar and elected representatives, farmers and seers over the issue of establishment of a waste-to-energy plant at Gorur village in Magadi taluk of Ramanagaram district ended in a deadlock here on Monday.
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has proposed to set up the plant on 27 acres of land to process 1,000 tonnes of garbage from Bengaluru every day to generate of 15 MW of power.
Mr. Shivakumar, who is also the district in-charge for Ramanagaram, told presspersons that another round of consultations would be held with the farmers, local residents, and seers before arriving at a decision.
Protests against survey
Violent protests had erupted at Gorur recently when officials visited the village to survey the land for setting up the unit.
The Minister said “the plant will be set up after taking into confidence all sections of the people”. Like Mandur, it would not become a garbage dumping yard. All environmental issues raised by the local residents would be addressed, he said.
Strong opposition
H.C. Balakrishna, Magadi MLA, had strongly opposed the project stating that the water bodies in the village would be polluted.
“Let the BBMP set up the plant in the city. Why do you [BBMP] transport garbage to a village located 50 km away?” he said.
River pollution
Former BBMP Deputy Mayor B.S. Puttaraju, seers Basavalingaswamy and Malayashanta of Deshikendra Mutt, Nelamangala, opposed the setting up of the plant on the ground that it would pollute the Kumudavathi River water sources.
Transport and Bengaluru Urban district in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee and BBMP Commissioner M. Lakshminarayana attended the meeting.
The waste-to-energy plant will be set up after taking all sections into confidence. Gorur will not become a dumping yard like Mandur.
All environmental issues will be addressed
D.K. Shivakumar,Energy Minister
