‘Gas emanating from dumped waste may trigger disaster’

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to take measures to make seven solid waste processing units functional.

It cautioned that another disaster like the Bhopal gas tragedy may occur if civic authorities fail to take steps to control gas emanating from garbage dumped in various quarry pits.

A division bench comprising Justice B.S. Patil and Justice B.V. Nagarathna made these observations during the hearing of petitions related to the city’s garbage problems, when it was pointed out by an advocate for a petitioner that gas is emanating, along with explosions, in several quarry pits where garbage is dumped.

The bench directed the BBMP to make fully functional the seven plants which are already commissioned at Kannahalli, Seegehalli, Doddabidarahalli, Chikkanagamangala, Subbarayanapalya, Koodlu and Lingadeeranahalli after it was brought to its notice that some of these plants are either dysfunctional or not fully functional. The BBMP has spent around ₹350 crore to establish these plants, it was claimed on behalf of the petitioners.

BBMP’s Joint Commissioner Sarfaraz Khan (Health/Solid Waste Management) told the court that there are several issues and difficulties in making these plants functional while assuring that efforts will be made earnestly in this regard.

Meanwhile, the bench directed the BBMP to furnish details of ward committees which have not held the meetings on identifying places in their wards for establishing waste processing plants as per the court’s directions, to enable the court to initiate action against such committees.