Illegal dumping yards continue to thrive across the City and residents say the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) garbage trucks are the culprit.
Palike officials on the other hand turn a blind eye to the residents’ complaints. Residents of Halanayakanahalli, off Sarjapur Road have suffered a dumping yard spread across an acre, for more than two years now. According to them, trucks belonging to the BBMP dump garbage here everyday. Archana Prasad Kashyap, a member of Kasa Muktha Bellandur said: “When we complained to the engineers concerned at the BBMP about the dumping yard here, they washed their hands off saying the area does not fall under the Palike limits. Apart from this, the garbage is also burnt sometimes.” The garbage is coming from the Palike areas and since schools are located close-by, the children are affected the most, she said.
Lalitha Mondreti, a member of Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT) said illegal dumping yards can be found at Chikkathoguru in NICE Road and Pipeline Road among other areas. “A report has been submitted to the High Court about the illegal dumping yards in the City along with pictures. A copy of the same has been submitted to BBMP ward officials and details have also been given out to the Palike Administrator. However, there has been no response till date,” Mondreti said. The problem exists due to the BBMP's inefficient monitoring of garbage trucks and its inability to enforce segregation.
Similarly, at HBR Layout, many vacant areas are being misused as dumping yards.
Residents say BBMP garbage trucks dump waste here early in the morning and sometimes at night. “Sometimes, even people dump waste at these vacant spots when the Palike workers do not collect garbage from their homes. Mosquito menace has increased due to this,” said Dolphie Pinto, a resident of HBR Layout, 4th Block.
BBMP Administrator T M Vijayabhaskar told Deccan Herald that he will look into the issue at the earliest. The BBMP is planning to introduce a system wherein garbage trucks will be fitted with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and a tender is now being finalised, he said. “It will be an expensive affair but it is necessary. Once operational, it will be effective in all the 198 wards under the Palike limits,” he said.