Garbage piles up in NGEF Layout, raises health concerns

Residents say frequency of dumping outpaces clearance efforts.

Rampant garbage dumping in the Baiyappanahalli metro backyard is raising concerns among residents. They are calling for collaborative action with authorities before a health crisis breaks out.

Residents of Jal Vayu Towers reached out to DH to address concerns over the persistent garbage dumping outside their apartment premises in the NGEF Layout. Specifically, an empty parcel of land opposite the towers, which was to be developed into a park, now resembles a dumpyard.

The 200 x 30 metre land parcel is bordered by the railway tracks to the south, Sadananda Nagar to the east and a Namma Metro-owned plot to the west, has become a notorious spot for indiscriminate garbage and construction debris disposal.

Residents of the apartment highlighted that the frequency of garbage dumping outpaced the clearance efforts, adding that plastic waste has also clogged the stormwater drain, adjoining the towers’ compound wall. The drain overflows when it rains, leaving behind a pervasive stench.

Plastic waste beer bottles and cloth waste are frequently dumped into the stormwater drain. DH Photos/S K Dinesh

A resident commented, “We are in regular contact with the BBMP. They are responsive; I won’t blame them for the problem. The BBMP is doing their job, but residents also need to cooperate and have a sense of civic responsibility.”

However, residents outside the nine-tower apartment complex highlighted that the BBMP was not regular with its waste collection. “Many days, the waste collection tipper does not reach us. Hence, people sneakily dump waste despite being told not to,” said Sheela, a resident of Krishnayyanapalya.

The BBMP’s schedule for door-to-door waste collection unintentionally leads some residents in nearby areas to dispose of their garbage later in the day, resulting in little piles of garbage along the way to the apartment, noted Rajanna, who works in a nearby garage.

This was echoed by Santhosh, who drives a manhole-cleaning truck owned by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). “People who leave early for their jobs or work night shifts aren’t around in time when the auto tippers come to pick up their waste, so they just throw their waste in this yard while going to work. This happens everywhere in the city.”

BBMP promises action

The local BBMP Assistant Executive Engineer for solid waste management said that BBMP Marshals were deployed to keep an eye on defaulters a few months ago. “We had also fixed a corrugated tin sheet as a gate about 20 days ago to avoid such dumping but someone has pulled it down. We will take this issue on priority now” he said.