Another trash trouble? Villagers block roads, stop trucks from entering landfill

Bengaluru: Garbage is unlikely to be lifted from doorsteps and roadside waste dumps are certain to fester Wednesday as all roads leading to a major landfill in Mittaganahalli, east of Bengaluru, were blocked Tuesday. Residents of Kannuru, Mittaganahalli, Hosur Bande, and surrounding villages stopped trucks from proceeding towards the landfill. With Mitgananahalli landfill receiving about 2,700-2,800 tonnes of 5,000 tonnes of mixed waste generated by the city, garbage disposal is likely to go haywire Wednesday as the standoff is persisting.

The protesting villagers are demanding that BBMP and Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd halt the dumping of city garbage at Mittaganahalli landfill. The protest, led by elected representatives of Kannuru gram panchayat, began around 2pm, with over 100 villagers gathering at Kannuru village. They placed boulders and heaps of soil on the road, blocking the way for all vehicles, resulting in over a hundred compactors being lined up along the stretch.Ashok S, president of Kannuru GP, told TOI the landfill, spread over a few acres in the land belonging to Mittaganahalli and Kannuru village, is almost full, and leachate level has increased. However, the Palike has failed to fulfil its assurances, including installation of a leachate treatment plant at the landfill. “The foul smell emanating from waste dumps has led to health hazards, including an increase in dengue cases in the area. It has also polluted our underground water table,” Ashok said. He demanded that BBMP and BSWML suspend garbage-dumping operations at the yards until the leachate problem is resolved.Sundar Raj, a GP member from Hosur Bande village, said mosquitoes and flies in the area have increased due to leachate. The nearby villages have turned dirty, and residents are pressuring GP members to solve issues. “We staged a protest six months ago, following which BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath visited the spot. He assured us that the Palike would provide drinking water to the affected area, clean the roads once a week, protect nearby lakes from leachate, and set up a leachate treatment plant. But nothing has materialised till now,” said Raj. The agitators said they will not open the road for compactors until their demands are fulfilled.A team of engineers from BSWML, responsible for collecting and disposing of waste in Bengaluru, rushed to the spot and tried to convince the villagers to allow the vehicles. However, the villagers did not relent. BSWML sources confirmed that collection of waste in the city might be affected from Wednesday until the issue is resolved.
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