B'lore has no place to dump 80 pc of garbage

Bangalore, Apr 15: Of the nearly 2,000 tonnes of municipal waste generated in the City each day, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike has just enough space to dispose of about 350 tonnes.

That there is no place to dump hazardous industrial waste in Bangalore is shameful enough. But that the State capital doesn't have a place to dispose of nearly four-fifth of its municipal waste should scandalise anybody who takes pride in calling it the Garden City and India's answer to Silicon Valley.

The numbers are quite overwhelming: Of the nearly 2,000 tonnes of municipal waste generated in the City each day, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike has just enough space to dispose of about 350 tonnes. The rest is abandoned at quarries, for which the Palike does not have a no-objection certificate from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board.

Says BBMP Deputy Commissioner (Health) Manu Baligar, "Yes, we are finding it difficult to find a place to get rid of the municipal waste. We have only one functioning scientific landfill at Mavallipura, where, about 350 tonnes of waste is disposed of each day.

"Earlier, we used to send 350 tonnes of garbage to the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation unit on Hosur Road. But since January 3, the corporation has refused to take the waste. We've no option but to dump it in abandoned quarries in three zones of the old BMP area". However, say KSPCB sources, the Palike has not got clearance from the board to dump waste in the quarries. "So far, it has got clearance from us to use the KCDC unit, the Mavallipura landfill and composting unit of Terra Firm. But we've not been informed about waste being dumped in abandoned quarries." However, officials of Terra Firm Biotechnologies told Deccan Herald that the composting unit near Bannerghatta Park is receiving only about 10-12 truck-loads of solid waste, which amounts to a mere 30 tonnes a day.

Expressing helplessness in acquiring land for disposal of solid wastes, Mr Baligar said, "Nobody is ready to have a waste disposing yard near their place. Wherever you go, you face strong opposition from the public. Then how can you expect the Palike to dispose of 2000 tonnes of municipal waste scientifically?"

He says the Palike is making efforts to buy 500 acres of land on Kanakapura Road for getting rid of wastes scientifically. The unit will comprise a composting unit as well as a landfill. Non-biodegradable wastes will go to the landfill. "The Waste-to-Energy Project at Mandur is expected to be completed by this November. Once the project gets going, we'll generate 8 MW of power by utilising 1,000 tonnes of solid waste every day," he says.

Asked about measures taken to extend solid waste management in new areas of the Palike, Mr Baligar says the BBMP is expecting an additional 500 tonnes of solid waste every day in new areas. To dispose of this additional waste, the Palike commissioner has written to Bangalore Development Authority to allot 1,000 acres of land on the outskirts of the City, he adds.

OneIndia News