BANGALORE: Bangalore University’s Jnanabharathi campus appears to be the new garbage dumping yard identified by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)!
On two days during the long holiday last week, some BBMP trucks entered the Jnanabharathi campus from the Mysore Road entrance and dumped waste near the university’s garden department, a few yards from the Vice-Chancellor’s residence and the Jnanabharathi police station. On the third day, university officials who were back at work, caught the garbage truck entering the campus. The officials then inspected the campus and found that garbage had been dumped in the vermicompost pits, each around four feet deep.
According to BU sources, this was the handiwork of some BBMP private contractors. Ramachandrappa, superintendent of the garden department, said, “This happened when I was on leave. They dumped garbage for two days and on the third day, I stopped them. When asked, they said they had taken permission from the Vice-Chancellor. But, I did not believe them and called the V-C’s office immediately and found they had lied.”
He said the BBMP men were directed not to enter the campus again.
This Express reporter visited the campus on Friday morning and found that the garbage was dumped in two such pits.
A heavy stench hung over the area and the downpour during the last few days had only made the situation worse.
University authorities said they have no clue from which area or ward the trucks had come. “There is a police check post at the Mysore Road entrance. We wonder how the truck entered the campus without their knowledge,” an official said.
Meanwhile, mosquitoes have started breeding in the vermicompost pits. “We are trying to fill the pits with soil and close them to avoid health problems, as the ladies’ hostel is just a few minutes’ walk from here,” said Ramachandrappa.