Deccan Herald 27.08.2012
Mob sets fire to Mandur waste segregation unit
More than 100 trucks stranded as villagers pelt them with stones
The garbage imbroglio refuses to die. On
Monday, residents of 18 villages surrounding the Mandur dumping yard
laid a virtual siege to the area, and a 200-strong mob set the
segregation unit on fire.
The wary Bruhat Bangalore
Mahanagara Palike suspended transportation of waste from the City and
nearly 100 trucks were stranded near the village.
The local
administration was unable to find a way out of the situation even as the
stranded truck drivers feared for their lives. Angry villagers
reportedly pelted some trucks with stones demanding that they leave the
place, but the administration has forced the drivers to stay on.
Taking
cue from the protests at Mavallipura and villages around Terra Firma
dumping grounds, residents of Mandur too have been up in arms against
the landfill for quite some time now. Recently, when the BBMP increased
the frequency of transportation to the villages, the local residents
intensified their agitation.
To support the Mandur protesters, people from 10 villages joined the agitation.
On
Monday, they staged a massive protest saying they feared the
ill-effects of garbage pile-ups in the vicinity and demanded that the
administration stop dumping garbage in their village.
According
to Mandur gram panchayat member Rakesh Gowda, since 4 pm on Monday, no
trucks were allowed anywhere near the vicinity. Local police officials
said two fire tenders were rushed to the spot to put out the fire which
engulfed the garbage processing unit at 12.30 pm.
The villagers
have decided to patrol the area round-the-clock to ensure that no truck
sneaks into the landfill. “We have roped in 25 villagers from each of
the 18 villages to patrol the area. Patrolling will continue till the
BBMP stops dumping garbage in our panchayat jurisdiction.
BBMP
officials claimed that as many as 100 lorries were stranded in the area
and none have been able to dump waste at the landfill. “We are yet to
analyse the implications of the issue,” said a Palike official.
Protest
Muniyamma
who participated in the protest asked, “When Bangaloreans cannot live
with garbage pile-ups around them for three days, how do they expect us
to live with all the rubbish for years?”
Another protester claimed they were facing a lot of health hazards because of the landfill, besides the rising stray dog menace.
BBMP
Commissioner Shankarlinge Gowda, who was transferred on Monday, said
dumping yards were not a long-term solution and the only way to tackle
waste is to set up dry waste collection centres at the ward level.