BENGALURU: It has been over six years since Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) authorities almost stopped sending waste to the landfill site at Mavallipura located off Doddaballapur Road. But the quantity of waste from Bengaluru, accumulated over the years in its backyard has impacted villages in and around Mavallipura, whose sufferings seem never-ending.
Mavallipura, which is some 30 km from Bengaluru, was once known for its greenery. People residing there were largely dependent on agriculture. The surroundings were green with a good number of water bodies.
But over a period of time, when the landfill site was identified at Mavallipura to dump Bengaluru’s garbage, the soil, water and air got polluted, making the lives of villagers in and around Mavallipura miserable. Around 10 to 12 villages were affected including Mavallipura, Guddadahalli , Jaragbandekaval and other places. There were a few deaths due to garbage that triggered protests. Many villagers suffered from skin allergies, respiratory diseases and other ailments.
While the accumulated garbage has been covered with soil cap, it is partially visible when it rains. Villagers complain of foul smell at that time. The waste that had accumulated over years was supposed to be disposed of scientifically by BBMP authorities. Since the contract period of the private agency is over, BBMP is supposed to dispose of the remaining waste. But the authorities seems to be resorting to setting it on fire to reduce the volume. This not just pollutes the air, the smell is intolerable.
The New Indian Express visited Mavallipura for a reality check. The gate to the landfill site has been closed with just a guard sitting at the entrance. Just outside the landfill site, two ponds on either side are filled with leachate (liquid that drains from a landfill).
Shantesh Kumar, a farmer whose land is next to the landfill, said they were born and brought up in this village. There was a time where villagers used to drink water from this pond. But for over a decade, garbage was dumped and this resulted in ground water pollution.His brother Jinesh Kumar said they grow plantain, tomatoes, beans and other crops, but with ground water getting polluted, the yield has reduced to half.
“They (BBMP) wanted to send garbage trucks and that time roads were asphalted and maintained. Now the roads are damaged because of heavy trucks and compactors carrying waste from Bengaluru using our village roads. Since they are not sending waste, BBMP authorities are least bothered to repair road,’’ Srinivas, a local, said.
Muniraju, who owns some land in Mavallipura, said his cattle fall sick often as they graze on grass grown with leachate water. Borewells drilled in various locations give the same contaminated water which is not fit for drinking or agriculture. “We do not know when was the last time we drank water from our land. We now depend on private tankers, thanks to Bengalureans and the apathy of BBMP officials,’’ he said.
When garbage was being sent, BBMP had installed a RO water purifier unit near the landfill for the benefit of locals. Madhu, who works as a farm hand at farm nearby said the RO unit worked for just one month. Later, with no power supply, the unit is not working. “We walk or sometimes take help from passing two-wheeler riders to get water from Kurubarahalli which is some 2 km from here. The water we get here smells bad,’’ he said.
Garbage story
Bengaluru generates about 4,000 metric tons of waste every day. Till 2012, more than 1,000 tons of garbage were sent to Mavallipura. In 2012, after villagers opposed dumping of waste at Mavallipura, BBMP stopped sending waste after more than ten years. More than 40 lakh tons of waste had accumulated since then. However the civic agency restarted using Mavallipura landfill next to the garbage hillock in the name of setting up a processing unit in 2015, which worked for a year. After the private agency’s contract expired, sending of waste to the new processing unit was stopped. The authorities neither cleared old accumulated garbage nor cleaned up the new place where fresh garbage was being dumped for almost two years without processing. In fact, the BBMP authorities covered the old garbage hillock with soil capping which is visible every time it rains, villagers complain.