BENGALURU: Many landfill sites dot the outskirts of Bengaluru. The scene there is no different from Mandur. With tonnes of garbage sent from the City, all these villages have been affected.
Govindaraju who grows plantain at Kamana Agrahara in Doddaballapura taluk said they are dealt a double whammy. “The Terra Firma unit at Gundlahalli is just 1km from our village while the MSGP unit in Chigerehalli is at a distance of 2.5 km. Both the units are supposed to process waste scientifically. But these have been reduced to dumping yards, making our lives miserable,” he said.
Recounting their woes, Govindaraju said that groundwater is polluted. “We get thick black colour water from our tap. It smells like drainage water. We buy water from a village which is 6km away. The Chief Minister has assured us that they would stop sending garbage to Terra Firma unit from March and process it at MSGP scientifically. We shall wait till then,” he said.
According to him, 220 truckloads of waste is sent to Terra Firma and 180 trucks to MSGP every day.
Anil who grows vegetables mainly at Kurubarahalli village, 1.5 km from Mavallipura landfill site, has similar problems. “After villagers went on an agitation mode, the site was shut in 2012. Subsequently, the BBMP which went to court started a processing unit as per court direction. But this unit has turned into a dump. Every day, 25 truckloads of waste is dumped here,” he said.
S Bingipura village in Anekal taluk too doesn’t want Bengaluru’s garbage. The villagers have been on warpath. “Bingipura Lake has turned black. It is not suitable for domestic or any other purpose. A few weeks ago, fire broke out in the landfill. This is a serious concern for us,” Shankara, a resident, said.
Bingipura dumpyard is spread over 20 acres. On an average daily, it processes 1,000 tonnes of garbage. The dumping yard caters to Bommanahalli, BTM Layout, Jayanagar, Chickpet, Padmanabhanagar and Bangalore South constituencies.