BENGALURU: Twenty-four kilometres away from Bengaluru, around 16 villages spread across three Gram Panchayats are involved in allied agriculture activity and dairy farming, free from air, water and soil pollution.
One of them, Bettahalasuru Gram Panchayat, had won the Gandhi Puraskar in the past for best practices in waste segregation, as it achieved 98 percent waste segregation at source. The peace enjoyed by these villagers, whoever, is threatened by the notification issued by the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML).
Last week, the BSWML issued a notification to start an 826-tonne Material Recovery Facility here, leaving villagers with the fear of pollution and groundwater contamination.
Pavithra, a resident of Tharahunise who works as an Operations Manager with Eco-Grama, an NGO involved in waste segregation in Bettahalasur GP, said the villagers fear groundwater pollution and the plant may endanger live stocks besides causing diseases like cancer, due to the daily dumping of 826 tonnes of waste for a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) at Tharahunise village.
As the news spread, villagers held a signature campaign and handed over an objection letter to the local MLA and Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner to stall the project, and the Bettahalasur GP has also sent a show-cause notice to BSWML seeking an explanation on the purpose of such a facility and its impact on the village and the environment.
Pavithra said, as per the 2011 census, 15,000 voting population was found in Bettahalasur gram panchayat and says that two major water lakes, Sadenahalli lake (Rajankunte GP) and Thimmasandra lake (Bettahalasuru GP), are around 1 km from the proposed facility.
‘Proposed facility may pollute groundwater’
The facility may cause risk to people and the water source. “The truck carrying such a huge quantity of waste will damage village roads, apart from seepage of leachate as segregation has failed in Bengaluru. Ground water source is likely to get polluted and the flies from the facility may damage the crop and also cause infection to livestock,” said Pavithra.
The villagers say, as per the tender document, BSWML will have around 18 acres of land here, and seven acres will be used for MRF, the remaining will be used for bio methanisation plant. “The same trick was used in Mandur, then the area was turned into a landfill and the groundwater was polluted. The same fear is among the villagers here, hence they have objected to MRF. The facility also falls under the international flight operation zone as Kempegowda International Airport is close by, and due to garbage, the birds may cause flight accidents as well,” said Pavithra.
BM Praveen, Vice-President, Bettahalasuru Gram Panchayat, said the villagers will not budge even if compensation or ‘better’ infrastructure is promised. “Once such a facility comes in, the village may start to stink, and our fate will end up like that of Mandur and Mavallipura villages. The groundwater in Mavallipura is polluted. We will not allow any such facility in our Gram Panchayat and neighbouring panchayat limits,” he said.
IT IS ONLY DRY WASTE COLLECTION CENTRE, SAYS TOP OFFICIAL
A senior official from BSWML said the villagers need not fear as the facility is only a dry waste collection centre and shredding, sorting activities will be done. “We will convince the villagers to cooperate as this facility will not harm environment in any way,” said the engineer.
Know the neighbourhood
Gram Panchayats and villages in and around the proposed MRF by BSWML
Betthalsuru Gram Panchayat: Tharahunise, Betthalsuru, Thimmasandra, Agrahara, Kudrugere, Gadenahalli, Nellukunte, Sugghatta, Papanahalli and Narayanpura.
Jalige Gram Panchayat: Kamenahalli, Bettenahalli and Margondahalli.
Rajankunte Gram Panchayat: Sadenahalli, Addiganahalli and Rajankunte.