Kavita Reddy, a resident of HSR Layout, does not know what to do with the garbage piling up in her house. It has been nearly 10 days since the waste collector turned up at her doorstep.
HSR Layout is not the only locality facing this problem. Residents of Jayanagar, Yelahanka, Vidyaranyapura and RR Nagar are also in the same boat after door-to-door waste collection suddenly became irregular.
The problem is severe in South and West Zones following the closure of Terra Firma that was taking 800 tonnes of mixed waste every day.
Residents allege that collectors have become irregular as they do not know where to dump garbage, which is ending up on the roadside.
R. Murali of Jayanagar 8th Block said that it has been eight days since the collection vehicle came to their area. “Many residents have started dumping waste by the roadside, creating black spots,” he said.
When he complained, BBMP officials conceded that collection had become irregular due to issues regarding dumping of waste. But, following several complaints, BBMP officials cleared most of the black spots on Sunday, he said.
HSR Layout Residents Welfare Association met BBMP officials and garbage contractors on Monday. Ms. Reddy said that civic officials blamed the contractors and issued a stern warning.
“But we are not convinced. They have given a Wednesday deadline to clear the garbage on the streets. But its high time BBMP pulls up its socks and finds alternative destinations for mixed waste. While we aim for segregation, there needs to be an interim plan to handle mixed waste,” she said.
BBMP is in the process of readying two abandoned stone quarries in Bettahalli and Mittaganahalli to dump mixed waste. In the absence of alternative destinations, BBMP officials had directed the zonal commissioners to dispose the waste in stone quarries in their respective areas. However, due to their inability to find such quarries, collection has slackened, BBMP officials told The Hindu .
