BENGALURU: Residents of Banashankari 6th Stage and surrounding areas staged a rally on Sunday, demanding the closure and relocation of the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (SWM) processing unit at Lingadheeranahalli. The protest, held under the banner “Parisara Jagruti Jaatha”, was organised to highlight what locals describe as years of health hazards, environmental damage, and official apathy.
The residents, who marched from the garbage plant along 100-ft Road to Chikkegowdanapalya, accused the BBMP of showing an inhuman approach by installing a large waste facility in the middle of a residential layout.
Apart from residents, environmental activists, Congress leader Shivamadaiah and BJP leader Jayaram Gowda, who is also the Supreme Court Petitioner in this case, extended support. Protesters also recalled how the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had earlier fined BBMP Rs 10 lakh for environmental damage and ordered a halt to processing, but operations continued after the civic body obtained relief from the Supreme Court.
Locals allege that ever since the plant was set up in 2015 as a “temporary” measure, it has continuously released toxic emissions and leachate into the surroundings. The unbearable odour, with swarms of mosquitoes and houseflies, has forced many families to relocate, while others have postponed moving into their homes. “At night, the stench becomes suffocating. Hundreds of flies swarm into our houses. We are battling skin rashes, respiratory issues, and recurring fevers, yet our complaints have gone unheard,” said Rashmi Mavinkurve, a resident.
Despite repeated assurances from the government, including statements from the deputy chief minister that garbage plants would be shifted to the city’s outskirts, residents say no action has followed. Complaints to the KSPCB go unanswered, with only token acknowledgments issued. Despite a suo motu case initiated by the Upa Lokayukta based on a TNIE report in April 2024, residents complain that no visible change is still seen. Residents argue that the plant violates buffer zone norms, with houses next to its compound wall. They accuse BBMP of failing to comply with the 29 conditions set by the Supreme Court and ignoring Karnataka State Pollution Control Board directions. While the Supreme Court permitted operations under strict safeguards, locals say no conditions have been implemented.
“KSPCB’s studies have been eyewash. Toxic water is dumped into stormwater drains, polluting Sompura Lake and flowing towards the Cauvery basin. The air is filled with methane, hydrogen sulphide, and other volatile organic compounds. Even the so-called odour-control measures, like spraying lemongrass oil, are causing dizziness and nausea,” Keshav Prasad HS, another resident, rued.