BANGALORE: The High Court on Tuesday allowed the BBMP to reopen the
Mavallipura garbage processing unit temporarily for relief until any
other arrangement is made and asked the Palike to submit a report before
the court on October 31.

The Division bench of Justice N Kumar
and B V Nagarathna was hearing a series of petitions filed by various
members of the society addressing the issue of garbage disposal
mechanism in the city.

During the hearing, a suggestion was made
to reopen the Mavallipura unit for garbage processing after the closure
of the Mandur site. The NGOs, however, objected to the suggestion
claiming that the unit was no longer in a working condition.

The
NGOs contended that the platforms and setup is broken and that the unit
can only take segregated green waste and nothing else. However, the BBMP
commissioner said the unit is in working condition and the BBMP can
start processing the garbage.

Considering the conflict in
opinion, the court asked BBMP officials to visit the place, fix it and
start the unit. Meanwhile, the NGOs have asked to keep a watch on the
unit and in case of violation, immediately report it to the High Court
and it would take necessary action.

Meanwhile, the High Court came
down heavily on the builder’s association for not taking responsibility
to dispose of the debris gathered from construction sites. “It is your
city, you have earned from it now take responsibility,” observed Justice
N Kumar.

The association submitted that they would have a meeting
with the authorities and discuss the plans to set up crushing units to
re-utilise debris. The court asked the association not to conduct
meetings anymore  and get into action. The court has asked the builders’
association to come up with a project plan by the next hearing.During
the hearing, the court came down on BBMP and BDA for not taking action
against the society BBMP employees association that has constructed a
layout on a civic amenity  site.

The court asked the BBMP to
proceed with the demolition of the unauthorised construction to reclaim
the land in Kengeri and submit the action taken report(ATR).

Waste to compost

Bangalore:
If everything goes well, Mavallipura landfill site will have a
processing unit that unit will take new waste along with the accumulated
garbage for processing. BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana said the
civic body will set up the unit with a capacity of processing around 300
tonnes per day. “It is a waste-to-compost unit. The manure produced
from this unit will be given to farmers in and around Mavallipura free
of cost,” he added.  “There will be no more landfill sites henceforth.
The city generates around 4,000 tonnes on an average every day. All this
waste will be processed. It will not be dumped on any open land,” he
said.