BENGALURU: People in and around Tulasipura in Anjanapura Ward have been crying hoarse for the past one year over the burning of garbage and the subsequent toxic fumes emanating from a dumping ground in the area near Nice Road. However, far from listening, no authorities seem to be even bothered.
Vijay Ranjan, a local who resides in an apartment complex, Real Home Shailesh Apartments some two to three km away from the dumping grounds points out that despite being quite at a distance from the grounds there is no relief from the smell of fumes sometimes for an entire day and even at night.
“There is always this irritation in the eyes without any reason and I am not just talking about myself but other residents have also complained about it too. At night you get the smell of plastic and some kind of medical waste being burnt and it is extremely discomforting.
A few residents inquired about the source and found out it was the garbage from the dumping ground,” says Vijay. He also pointed out that there were a number of cases of children falling sick which he also attributed to the gaseous discharge from the dump yard.
Not A Simple Matter
Another resident, Sudhakar G K, has done a number of his own recce and investigations found out that the dumping ground was in a quarry that had earlier been leased to the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE). “On one visit we found a lady who was hired as a caretaker for the quarry by its owner.
Although hesitant at first she says that garbage contractors were coming to the area at different points in the night and not only dumping the garbage there but also burning it,” says Sudhakar. He also met another person who was running a dry waste collection center nearby who when objected to the dumping was threatened with his life.
Knocking One Door After Another
Residents have approached every possible authority and even more but with little relief. The local corporator has already told residents that the dumping has been taking place in cahoots with higher ups and he cannot do much, says Sudhakar.
Interestingly NICE has filed a police complaint against a few people believed to be the dumpers on January last year. A complaint was also lodged with the BBMP Commissioner but it was directed to the Joint Commissioner (Bomanahalli) who then forwarded it a Superintendent Engineer.
There has however been no response from the engineer so far even after repeated calls and messages. The residents wrote to the National Green Tribunal but it directed the matter to its Chennai office. “NGT Chennai in turn said the onus was on the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KPSCB),” says Sudhakar. The KPSCB told them that the matter fell within the purview of the BBMP.