It took the death of a three-year-old girl and her father’s message on social media seeking justice for the authorities to wake up to the problem of waste management at Shivajinagar police quarters. Residents allege that only after her death did the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) start collecting garbage from the locality.
On March 5, Harshali, the daughter of traffic constable Lokeshappa, fell into a pile of burning garbage while she was playing in the compound. She succumbed to her injuries on March 13. Residents said that after the incident was reported in the media, higher-ups from both the police and civic body visited the quarters and took some measures to clear garbage that had piled up in several parts of the premises. On Tuesday evening, children were seen playing in the vacant site where Harshali was injured.
“The BBMP never collected garbage from us. Every household contributed ₹50, which would go towards waste management and sweeping the locality. The person was employed by the TV cable service provider. We used to pay him the extra money along with the monthly cable bill. It was only after the incident that people from the BBMP came to collect garbage,” said Rajanna K.N., a resident of 15 years.
Residents say that over the last few months, collection has been irregular, which resulted in waste piling up for several days. “After the TRAI regulation over cable rates, there was some confusion over the monthly cable rate. The service provider demanded more money for garbage collection and disposal,” said another resident of the area.
Jayamahal ward councillor M.K. Gunashekar said that the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, which is maintaining the quarters, is responsible for collecting and disposing the waste generated in the locality. “However, in several instances, I sent people to collect waste in the area after residents brought the issue to my notice.”
The quarters formerly had 252 houses, but 70-odd units were demolished a few years ago so that new houses could be built. Currently, there are 180 houses located in several blocks.
Residents said that the police department is proposing to develop the area and had asked them to vacate the premises. However, their request to provide alternative accommodation in police quarters at Kengeri, K.R. Puram, Austin Town and other places is yet to be approved.
