Police told not to stop garbage vehicles from entering treatment unit

The High Court of Karnataka has directed the Bengaluru Rural district police not to prevent any vehicles carrying garbage to the waste treatment and processing unit of Terra Firma Biotechnologies Pvt. Ltd. at Doddaballapur.

Justice A.S. Bopannna passed the interim order on a petition filed by the Terra Firma complaining that the local sub-inspector of police visited the firm’s processing unit on April 1 and warned the petitioner and its all employees that any vehicle carrying garbage or waste should not be allowed to go inside their unit.

The unilateral action of the police, without any written order of communication, was after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike withdrew from April 1, 2016 its agreement of supplying waste from city to Terra Firma.

Petitioner’s contention

Pointing out that it is processing waste from private and public sector companies such as BIAL, HAL, BEL, BEML, Biocon Ltd., Tata Motors, and Toyota Kirloskar Ltd., the petitioner-firm has alleged that illegal action of the police in not allowing any vehicle into the waste processing unit had given wrong impression among its customers that the unit had been closed.

While adjourning further hearing, the court asked the police not to stop vehicles carrying waste from entering the unit unless the police serve any orders in writing if there is any legal impediment to prevent such passage of vehicles.