Representative image of a landfill.
Credit: DH file photo/Ranju P
The state government’s move to seek 100 acres of land in each of the four directions on the outskirts of Bengaluru for landfills will fuel man-animal conflicts, retired forest officers and activists warned.
On October 4, the government wrote to Revenue and Forest departments asking officials to identify and divert land on Bengaluru’s outskirts for shifting waste processing plants and landfills.
A week later, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar explained the plans to move out the five waste processing plants in Yeshwantpur, Byatarayanapura, Mahadevapura, Dasarahalli and Anekal.
However, foresters warned that any processing of waste, let alone dumping, even close to forests will set off a chain reaction that will lead to a spurt in man-animal conflicts.
Former principal chief conservator of forests (head of forest force) B K Singh said Bengaluru has already lost most of its green cover (70% loss compared with 1973) and whatever is left of the wildlife has been pushed to small pockets on the outskirts.
“This is especially true of leopards. Processing waste anywhere close to the buffer zone will boost the stray dog population which will in turn attract leopards. Moreover, we will transfer diseases from humans to animals which have relatively remained safe till now,” he said.
Residents in apartments on the outskirts in south Bengaluru have been sighting leopards for long. The big cats have been regularly caught on CCTV cameras.
“Essentially, we will set off a chain reaction because we are unable to ensure segregation of waste,” he said.
A senior official in the department cited a study in Sri Lanka where elephants were found feeding in 54 waste dump sites with researchers finding plastic bags in elephant dung.
“In 2018-19, the government had selected land in Mahanthalingapura in Kaggalipura range to establish a dumpsite. The department explained the fragile situation of the elephant corridor in south Bengaluru and its importance in keeping the elephants away from the city and convinced them to shift the site,” the official said.
Former secretary of forest department A N Yellappa Reddy said placing landfills near buffer zones of forests will also lead to spread of disease in the wildlife.
“Be it elephants, leopards or wild boar, every animal will be affected by the processing of waste. Landfills produce highly flammable gas like methane besides noxious gases like ammonia, sulphides and carbon dioxide. If it affects humans, it will affect animals as well,” he added.
Six years after the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules were issued, Bengaluru is far away from achieving 100% segregation of waste, which has led to the creation of more landfills.
On Monday, DH asked Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre about the proposal for landfills on the outskirts. The minister acknowledged the issues but said he would go through the proposal before commenting on the matter.