Bengaluru’s Banashankari 6th stage residents march against waste processing plant

Bengaluru: Close to 400 residents of Banashankari 6th stage BDA layout staged a protest march Sunday against BBMP's solid waste processing unit at Lingadheeranahalli, off Kanakapura road.Children, senior citizens and families joined the march from the plant site to 100 feet road near Turahalli forest, raising slogans against the unit. Protesters said the facility has turned daily life into a struggle with constant stench, water contamination, and spread of houseflies and mosquitoes, leading to health concerns."The plant has made life miserable for nearby residents. We have been raising awareness since 2015 and submitting pleas to authorities," said Jayaram Gowda of Banashankari 6th stage Residents' Legal Forum, which has been challenging the plant.Residents alleged BBMP not only adopted unscientific waste management methods but also flouted several rules in setting up the unit. They said chemicals like lemongrass oil, sprayed to mask foul odour, are causing breathing difficulties when inhaled continuously.The unit was established in 2015 as a temporary arrangement, pending high court directions to set up processing plants in all 28 assembly constituencies. While the National Green Tribunal refused permission in 2020, BBMP moved the Supreme Court to vacate the order, following which the plant resumed operations in 2022. "Our food is contaminated by swarms of flies. Toxic gases in the air make it difficult for my mother, a heart patient, to breathe," said resident NK Ravi, adding several families have already shifted out of the area.Protesters also accused civic body of ignoring norms such as maintaining a buffer zone around waste facilities. They claimed neither forest department nor the state pollution control board has intervened despite repeated complaints.