BENGALURU: Residents of a gated community in Seegehalli near Whitefield are forced to bear the stink emanating from the garbage dumped nearby for the past four years. The pile of trash in an empty plot has been causing huge inconveniences to them.Residents of Alpine Viva allege that the zilla panchayat has been dumping garbage there and according to sources, panchayat is helpless for want of a suitable dumping ground in the area. Several complaints to MLC and the Pollution Control Board yielded no results.
Hem Shankar Jha, a resident on the 13th floor of the apartment, said the stench from the pile reaches his house. When officials and civic agencies did not take any action, the residents recently agreed to a solution proposed by Sampath Ramanujam, founder of an NGO called Anvaya Foundation. “The idea was to hold community events on the plot so that the dumping does not happen there,” he said. A state-level Kabaddi tournament was held at the plot on Saturday.
“The panchayat members had assured residents that they would bear the cost of covering the garbage for the event and fencing the area. However, they later backtracked, and residents of Alpine Viva had to pool in Rs 25,000 from their pockets for the same.” “At least 4-5 residents and workers at the apartment have contracted diseases like dengue, malaria and swine flu of late,” he added.
The plot in question is under dispute between two parties - the panchayat and a woman, Rukminiamma. “Due to their dispute, we residents have to suffer,” Jha said.