“Bio sludge” is being dumped in the processing units at Doddaballapur taluk on the sly, alleged communities members living around the processing units at Gundlahalli and Chigaranahalli. On Tuesday night, they had blocked road leading to the units. They stopped a truck laden with plastic drums. On finding that this was being taken to the units clandestinely, they seized the vehicle and are now planning to file a complaint against the company.
Earlier this year, the community members lodged a complaint against a leading biotech company for sending 12 tankers laden with chemical to the processing unit at Gundlahalli. The company later clarified that it was sending inert cell mass and not any “chemical” to the processing unit.
Garbage clearance in the city, over the next week, is likely to be hit. The city is staring at yet another crisis, as the quantum of waste likely to be generated over the next two days – Ayudha Puja and Vijayadashami – is likely to see an increase of at least 15 per cent.
Communities living around the processing units at Gundlahalli and Chigaranahalli of Doddaballapur taluk are again up in arms against the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
A senior official said, “The disposal of waste may be delayed. But, the BBMP will clear the accumulated waste as soon as possible.”
On Wednesday, nearly 500 villagers near the processing units staged a dharna against the BBMP and the State government. They want both units to be shut down immediately. Their main grouse is that the authorities had not kept assurances made in June this year.
Govindaraj, a local resident, told The Hindu that though city in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy had promised the local communities of reducing the quantum of waste being sent to both units gradually over six months, every day, around 400-450 truck-loads of garbage were being sent to Doddaballapur taluk.
"We do not need funds, drinking water supply or any more promises of 'development'. Our only demand is for the immediate stoppage of both units. Why should we sacrifice our fertile land for this mess?" he said and lamented that the fertile lands in the villages were becoming barren due to garbage dumping and processing.
BBMP Commissioner G. Kumar Naik said that the community members must give the civic body time till December. “If they decide to stop the trucks now, the deadline will keep getting postponed. They should let the facilities that we have put up begin functioning. We are looking at reducing the waste being sent there and keeping our end of the bargain,” he added.
