BENGALURU: The BBMP is running out of time. With just 30 days left for the expiry of the deadline to stop sending waste to Mandur, the civic body is yet to find alternative sites to dispose of the city’s waste.
Bengaluru generates around 4,000 tonnes of waste everyday. A major portion of this was being diverted to Mandur until three months ago. After the villagers protested against the continued dumping of waste there, the government set a deadline of December 1 for the BBMP to stop sending waste to the landfill.
When asked what arrangements have been made for waste disposal, BBMP Chief Engineer (Solid Waste Management) Munikrishna said he can only reveal it after December 1.
Though the High Court has ordered the BBMP to reopen the processing unit at Mavallipura with a capacity of 300 tonnes, the Palike is yet to get clearance from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. “We have the equipment ready. All we need is the approval from the board,” an official said.
Of the eight zones in the city, some have succeeded in making arrangements to dispose of the waste. But some others, like the Mahadevapura zone, are finding it tough. As many as 17 wards generate around 380 tonnes of waste everyday, of which 270 tonnes of mixed waste are sent to Mandur. A small portion goes to piggeries, goshalas and KCDC. But to get rid of the remaining portion, the BBMP is still searching for land to set up processing units. The east zone too has similar problems.
Processing Units Ready by February
According to joint commissioner (health) Yatish Kumar, the BBMP is gearing up to set up processing units at Lingadeeranahalli at Banashankari 6th stage, Doddabiderkallu in Yashwanthpur hobli, Chikkanagamangala near Electronics City, a second unit at the existing KCDC, and at some other places, together having a capacity of 2,000 tonnes. “The BBMP is providing the land for these units which are expected to start operating after February 2015,” he said.
District-in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy said, “There will be no more dumping yards. In five to six months, Bangalore’s waste will be processed.” When asked about meeting the Mandur deadline, Reddy said they will stick to it.
Only 4 Biomethane Units Ready
The civic body has proposed to start 16 biomethanisation units with the help of private players at various locations, of which only four, one each at K R Market, Yediyur, Kuvempunagar and Mattikere, have started functioning. Each unit has a capacity of five tonnes, and generates electricity from the waste.
“If all the 16 biomethanisation units function, we can not only dispose of 80 tonnes of waste scientifically at the ward level, but also reduce transportation costs. Along with this, we can generate electricity, and each unit can generate 500 units,” he said.