BENGALURU: The protesting farmers from Gundlahalli, Chikkamankala and 20 villagers surrounding MSGP, waste processing unit, on Wednesday called off their protest, started on Monday, to thwart BBMP trucks from dumping waste only after three hours of truce and taking an undertaking from ministers.
The BBMP has been allowed six months time to reduce the waste by 50 per cent and gradually stop completely once the waste processing units taken up at seven different places start functioning, said District in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy. The BBMP has agreed to set up 27 reverse osmosis plants for 22 villagers to get safe drinking water. It has already released Rs 3.74 crore for providing soil topping and spraying to prevent mosquito menace. The work will be carried out through gram panchayats, he added.
The villagers claimed that the BBMP has been dumping waste indiscriminately and unscientifically, leading to various health hazards and spoiling soil fertility. Leachate has been let into the ground without processing. It has led to the contamination of the ground water. The waste was being dumped by Terra Firma Biotechnologies Ltd. and MSGP Infratech Pvt. Ltd, near Chikkamankalala Circle in Doddaballapur taluk.
Reddy along with Bengaluru rural district in-charge minister Krishna Byregowda had intervened to convince the farmers to accept garbage at their backyard for six more months. Even the BBMP Administrator and Commissioner and MLA Venkataramanaiah helped resolve the deadlock between the BBMP and farmers. The meeting was held at Hulikunte panchayat office.
Has BBMP vowed to turn fertile Gundlahalli and Chikkamankala into Mavallipura and Mandur, making the lives of farmers miserable by putting them in unlivable condition, questioned a farmer Muni Sanjeevaiah.
The villagers laid siege to nearly 350 garbage laden trucks at Chikkamankalala circle and blocked them from dumping the city’s garbage. They even dared to give up their lives. They alleged that they have been exposed to health hazards and the ground water has been contaminated, forcing people to depend on tanker water. The BBMP said it would send just 20 trucks but everyday nearly 200 trucks dump waste here, they alleged.
During the siege the villagers had camped on the road for two days and even prepared food on the road side. “Even our drinking water has been polluted, as is the air we breathe. We don’t need assurances. We only need permanent solutions,” the protestors cried.
The BBMP admitted that 1,100 metric tons of waste was sent, as against the capacity of 800 MT. However, the waste processing units at Lingadheeranahalli and Singadevanahalli will start commissioning from next month. This will reduces stress on MSGP and Terra Firma, said BBMP Administrator T.M. Vijay Bhaskar.
Bio-waste sent to lab
The bio waste that was received from Biocon will be sent to laboratory to check for arsenic or other poisonous content. If the samples test positive, measures will be taken to prevent the dumping of the bio-waste at MSGP. Already, notice has been issued to MSGP for failing to scientifically process the waste.
