BENGALURU:Sarvamanya Bingipura village in Anekal taluk doesn’t want Bengaluru’s garbage in its backyard.
On Sunday, the villagers made this clear to newly-elected mayor Manjunath Reddy who was on a maiden visit to the village.
As soon as Reddy alighted from his vehicle, residents of the village surrounded him and angrily said that their health was suffering due to the dumping. They rejected his request to allow the garbage trucks and give him one month’s time to fix the problem.
They said they were fed up with the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) false promises. In 2014, Bingipura villagers had agreed to allow waste to be dumped. In return, BBMP agreed to supply drinking water through tankers, lay roads, hold health camps and curb stray dog menace.
Garbage from areas in Bengaluru South is dumped at the yard. The residents have been protesting for the last three days as the dump has not been capped with mud, which has led to an unbearable stink, apart from posing severe health problems.
Reddy promised that the village would soon get drinking water through pipes. He said `1.75 crore was set aside for the purpose and that the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) would lay the pipes shortly. He added that the yard would be converted into a park at a cost of `15 crore.
After inspecting the dump yard, Reddy said, “I have to admit that some of our officials have failed in their job. However, the dump will be capped with mud immediately so that the stench is curbed. I ask for just one month to ensure that no more garbage is dumped here. A new dumping yard will be opened at Chikkanagamangala, after which, all the garbage will be transported there and treated scientifically.”
Villagers Adamant
However, the residents of surrounding villages were livid. “People are falling sick every day. Diseases like malaria and dengue are common. In the recent past, a few even succumbed to cancer. None of the promises made when we agreed to the dumping have been kept.
“The authorities said that they would cap the garbage with mud, organise health camps in surrounding villages, ensure that fogging and spraying are carried out. However, nothing has happened and we are fed up,” said A Chinnappa, a resident.
Sundaresh, another resident, said, “Mayors have come and gone, but nothing has happened. Nobody can live here.”
“Our sheep and cows are dying. We are making our stand clear. We will not allow a single truck to enter here. Even if the authorities don’t keep up their promises, it is fine. But dumping of garbage here is a strict no-no,” Sundaresh said.
However, some felt that the mayor should be given a chance to fix the problem and they should allow the trucks.
The Bingipura dump yard is spread over 20 acres. On an average daily, it processes around 1,000 tonnes of garbage from 135-140 truckloads. The dumping yard caters to Bommanahalli, BTM Layout, Jayanagar, Chickpet, Padmanabhanagar and Bangalore South constituencies.
‘Situation Will
Improve’
When asked about the worsening garbage situation in the city, especially in the south, as piles of waste are lying unattended, BBMP zonal commissioner (south) Hemachandra said that the situation will improve in the next 48 hours. “The situation worsened due to the protests at Bingipura, due to which there was a problem. However, I will ensure that the problem is sorted out within 48 hours. The unattended garbage will be cleaned and sent to other dumpyards for the time being,” he said.
When contacted, BBMP commissioner Kumar Naik said the situation will improve soon. “There are around six-seven other units (dumping yards) that are being readied at present. Once that is done, we can divert all the garbage. The situation at Bingipura will improve,” he said.