BENGALURU: Residents of Chikkanagamangala and Doddanagamangala, Electronics City Phase 1, Electronic City Phase II, G S Palya, Konappana Agrahara and other surrounding areas protested against the Sewage Waste Management (SWM) plant, on Saturday. About 750 people participated in the protest held at the main gate of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) SWM plant. They want the plant to be closed down as it emits poisonous gases, and claim that they are facing these issues since last March.
“The SWM is burning waste inside their site, which causes smog in the mornings. Poisonous liquids flow out of the plant and affects the groundwater. Children suffer from allergies and asthma,” said Nitin Hegde, a member of ECity Rising Movement. Even senior citizens took part in the protest. “The SWM plant has caused us enough trouble. Such plants should not be in residential areas,” said Prasad Kancharla, president of Federation of Electronics City Residents Associations.
Residents claim that the reason they chose that location was to stay away from pollution. “I am a heart patient with asthma and due to the gases, my condition has elevated from the the past six months,” rued 66-year-old Ganesh Narayan Dubey, member of ECity Rising. Pushparajan, another member of the same movement, was disappointed that no BBMP official paid a visit to the plant.
Randeep D, special commissioner (Admin, Health, SWM, AH, Welfare), BBMP said, “Any issues relating to the plant will be taken care of. Experts for technical guidance have been appointed and if the concerned authority informs us that something is wrong, we can help solve the issue. We cannot take decisions on terminating the issue.”
Residents state that their meeting with the officials is scheduled on Monday at 1.30 at hall 1 of BBMP head office.