A garbage mound near an Indira Canteen stands as tall as the building at K.R. Market and similar piles of garbage can be seen across several areas in the city. Bengaluru’s waste problem has been compounded with the Bellahalli quarry filling up.
All mixed waste from the city is sent to Bellahalli quarry. With this filling up fast, the number of vehicles being sent to it were reduced, resulting in unsegregated, mixed waste remaining on the streets.
According to a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) official, 17.5 lakh tonnes of mixed waste had been dumped in the 26 acre quarry at Bellahalli. The BBMP had decided to send one vehicle per ward to the quarry. With the mounds of uncleared garbage increasing, the BBMP has started sending 230 tonnes a day to Bellahalli again. “We have created a bund on one side to ensure that waste dumped here doesn’t slide,” the official said, and added that the quantum of waste being sent to the MSGP processing plant had been increased from 350 tonnes to around 600 tonnes per day.
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Meanwhile, the civic body has floated a short-term tender to begin dumping at Mittaganahalli. The last date for the tender is August 7. “Until then, we have to manage between Bellahalli and MSGP,” the officials said.
BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said he had already discussed the issue with Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Mahadevapura MLA Aravind Limbavali. He said the civic body had identified four quarries for dumping of mixed waste at Mittaganahalli, Bagalur, Hullahalli and Bellahalli.
Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun said she had written to the former Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara urging him to accord permission to the four quarries. She said she had directed the BBMP officials to sort out the issue within three days.
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The Mayor added that a private property owner had allowed the BBMP to dump mixed waste on his land near the Bellahalli quarry, without any fee. “We are still exploring the feasibility of that proposal,” she said.
Garbage tenders
New garbage tenders are likely to be approved by the BBMP Council.
Mr. Prasad said all files pertaining to ward wise tenders for separate collection of mixed and dry waste that are with the Standing Committee for Health may be brought to the council for approval.
A total of 116 tenders are likely to be finalised by the council today.
“Once the council approves the tenders, we will immediately issue work orders. That way, contractors have a month to get ready to begin work from September,” he added.