Lokesh, a 12-year-old resident of Mettakallupalya, just a stone’s throw away from the garbage processing unit, is down with fever and sore throat for two weeks.
He wears a mask to prevent infection, as advised by a doctor.
Like him, most villagers now wear masks when they step out.
Muniyamma, a resident, said that the village is now surrounded by mosquitoes and flies. “We can't even have food in our houses,” she said. When The Hindu visited the village, at least four residents were down with dengue – all attributed to the garbage processing unit.
“When the plant was operational, the smell was unbearable. All promises of it being an odourless plant is nonsense,” complained Vajramuni, a villager who has moved court. He said the smell is so bad that it gave people headaches and soar throats.
The virulent opposition to the plant also stems from the crash in real estate prices nearby. Among the worst affected is the BDA layout in Banashankari VI stage. “There are no takers for sites near the plant. Those who own sites do not want to build houses, as living next to a garbage processing unit brings down the quality of life to a large extent,” said a site owner.
The Banashankari VI Stage Residents Welfare Association is at the forefront of the legal battle against the garbage processing plant.
