BENGALURU: The residents of Banashankari 6th phase in Hemmigepura ward have decided to lay siege to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) office as their repeated demands to shut the waste processing unit at Lingadheeranahalli are not being addressed.
The residents say the 150-tonne capacity waste processing unit was reopened following the Supreme Court’s directive a few months ago and the BBMP started sending tonnes of waste for processing.
“The smell is unbearable. House flies are all over. It is disgusting to see them inside the kitchen and on the dining table. The flies sit on food. We have children and aged persons at home.
We are exposed to health hazards. Last week, we met KSPCB chairman Shantha Thimmaiyya. He said BBMP has been told to follow 29 conditions including odour control but that is not happening. The areas have about 4,000 homes and all are impacted. If the issue is not resolved within 15 days, we will protest in front of KSPCB office,” said T S Mahesha, president, Resident Welfare Association, BSK 6th stage. The residents gathered near the plant and raised slogans against the BBMP on Thursday. KSPCB chairman Shantha Thimmaiyya was not available for comment
The BBMP says the plant was shut for three years and the Palike got the NGT stay vacated from SC and restarted the plant. “There is no bad odour or issue of house flies. The residents and a few people who have sites here fear that the real estate market value was going down due to the presence of the plant. Now that the case is coming up for hearing in the Supreme Court, these people are raising the issue,” said a senior official at BBMP’s SWM Department.