More than the agreed number of trucks is unloading waste’
Residents of Mandur on Monday night prevented hundreds of garbage-laden trucks from entering the landfill by locking the gates. Their contention was that though the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had assured them that 150 to 200 trucks of garbage would be dumped each day in the landfill, in the past few days more than the promised number of trucks of garbage was being sent there.
On being informed about the residents’ decision not to allow dumping, BBMP officials rushed to the spot. The officials held talks with the people there and only on Tuesday morning the gates were opened, and dumping of garbage allowed.
According to Thammanna C. Gowda, a Mandur resident, BBMP officials had told the residents that 150 to 200 garbage-laden trucks would be sent to Mandur each day. “But over the past few days, additional trucks were being sent. We are already facing a tough time dealing with the stench and the pollution because of the garbage being dumped here,” he added.
A senior BBMP official explained that trucks from some designated zones are allowed to dump garbage at the landfill in Mandur. But, of late some trucks from another zone had been diverted to Mandur by the contractor. “We have told people living around the landfill that we will ensure that not more than 200 garbage-laden trucks will be sent to Mandur.”
According to an official, residents living near the landfill in Mandur had demanded that the village be developed if they have to allow dumping of garbage there. Working in that direction, BBMP has been supplying potable drinking water to people there. However, spraying of EM solution to control stench has not yet started because model code of conduct was in place in view of the Lok Sabha elections. “We have assured the community leaders that all their demands will be met,” a senior official said.
