Trouble seems to be brewing for the BBMP, which proposes to set up a waste-to-energy plant at Gorur in Magadi taluk of Ramanagara district.
The civic body is facing stiff opposition from the local communities. On Friday, one person was seriously injured and 10 others sustained injuries after the police caned villagers opposing the survey of the land where the proposed plant will come up.
The district administration, accompanied by police personnel, went to Gorur at 6 a.m. to survey the 45-acre site. Police personnel were forced to resort to caning when the communities in the village protested against the survey. The protesters found support in Bande Math seer Basavalinga swamiji.
Police detained around 70 people, including the swamiji. Irate villagers then pelted stones at government vehicles. Two officials – Prabhakar and N. Shivakumar – sustained injuries in the melee, prompting police to resort to caning.
It is said that a youth attempted suicide after dousing himself with kerosene. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and is said to be out of danger.
The plant will be set up by Satarem Enterprises and will process 500 tonnes of garbage from Bengaluru. The project has been cleared by the government, said F.R. Jamadar, Deputy Commissioner of Ramanagara district. He said that he had directed representatives from the company to take the communities into confidence about the plant.
Superintendent of Police Chandra Gupta told The Hindu that four FIRs had been registered against unidentified persons for obstructing government officials from performing their duties. He said that the police would analyse video footage to identify the protestors and initiate action against them.
Meanwhile, locals are planning to block Bengaluru–Mangaluru National Highway 48 to highlight their opposition to the project. Manjesh, a local resident, said that the communities were being “treated like criminals” for opposing a waste processing unit in their village.
