The Hindu   31.08.2012

Mayor’s U-turn on landfill closure

City Mayor D. Venkatesh Murthy backtracked on his assurance to Mavallipura residents to cease dumping of garbage in the landfill there.

While the resolution adopted by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council offers temporary relief to the long-suffering community, there is no mention about the closure of the landfill that is identified as the root cause of all sorts of problems there.

After meeting the Mavallipura residents on Wednesday, the Mayor had assured them of taking action against Ramky Enviro Engineering Ltd., which had failed to scientifically dispose of the garbage, and had promised to shut down the landfill after passing a resolution in the council.

No closure

However, on Thursday, the council only resolved to earmark Rs. 8 crore for the development of the 15 villages affected by the landfill, conduct health camps in the villages once a week, supply potable water through tankers and sanction Rs. 2 lakh as compensation to the family of Srinivas who collapsed and died during a recent protest.

The council also resolved to process the accumulated garbage and shift it elsewhere as specified by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), besides initiating action against the agency (Ramky) after a thorough study on the various violations.

Ruling Party Leader in the Council N. Nagaraju said after all these steps are taken, the BBMP would once again get permission from the KSPCB to reopen the landfill.

‘Revoke permission’

Unsatisfied with this, Opposition Leader M.K. Gunashekar demanded the cancellation of the permission to Ramky to set up a waste to energy plant at Mavallipura. Earlier, he sought to know why the BBMP had failed to submit the compliance report to the KSPCB. “Why didn’t the BBMP officials issue a notice or levy penalty on Ramky when they knew that the company was violating conditions prescribed under the Municipal Solid Waste Management and Handling Rules 2000? What is the reason behind the BBMP’s soft approach to dealing with Ramky?”

He suggested that the BBMP pass a resolution to amend the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act 1976, making segregation of waste at source mandatory and implement the ban on plastic less than 40 microns thick. The BBMP could also resolve to urge the government to constitute the District Planning Committee, required as per the KMC Act. “This committee can look into identifying landfills and ensuring that the nearby villages are not affected by it.”

Violations galore

Hanumanthnagar councillor K. Chandrashekar pointed out that garbage contracts (currently in force), mandated contractors to lift the segregated garbage on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. “None of them is enforcing this condition. Instead of penalising them, the BBMP has extended their contracts five times. If a contractor is guilty of more than four violations, he can be blacklisted. Even this has not been done and the same contractors who have violated nearly 17 of the 26 tender conditions have participated in the new garbage contracts.”

Buffer zone

Mr. Chandrashekar said that as per Municipal Solid Waste Management and Handling Rules 2000, a one-km radius around a landfill should be declared as a buffer zone.

However, this has been violated. The land mafia had joined hands with local communities and was instigating them to revolt against dumping of garbage.

Yediyur councillor N.R. Ramesh seconded him and said that when K. Jyothiramalingam was the Commissioner, two developers allegedly pressured him to reduce the buffer zone around Mandur landfill to just 200 metres.