Residents of east and west Bengaluru where garbage had not been picked up for the past three days can now heave a sigh of relief. The crisis that loomed large over the city seems to have been temporarily averted.
On Wednesday night, after several rounds of discussions, the villagers preventing garbage trucks from dumping waste at two processing units in Doddaballapur taluk withdrew their protest against excessive dumping after government representatives gave a written assurance that the quantum of waste would be reduced in six months.
The agreement was signed by city in-charge Minister R. Ramalinga Reddy, Minister for Agriculture Krishna Byre Gowda, Doddaballapur MLA Venkataramanaiah and BBMP administrator T.M. Vijay Bhaskar.
Though the installed capacity of Terra Firma Biotechnologies Ltd. and MSGP Infratech Pvt. Ltd. is around 600 and 350 tonnes per day respectively, BBMP has been sending over 1,100 tonnes to both these units.
As per the agreement, within 10 days, the BBMP will take up mud-capping work at Terra Firma to control the fire, and sanction Rs. 3.74 crore to the Bengaluru Rural Zilla Panchayat to set up 27 reverse osmosis plants to meet the drinking water requirements. Hulikunte Gram Panchayat will get funds to take up spraying to control odour, mosquitoes and flies.
Mr. Reddy told The Hindu that once the two waste-to-energy plants sanctioned in Gorur and Gindenahalli are commissioned, the Terra Firma unit will be shut down.
