Bengaluru residents seethe over smouldering garbage

BENGALURU: The rampant dumping and burning of waste at night in several outer wards of the city is posing fire safety threats to the parks, trees and grasslands in the surroundings. Residents of these areas complain that BBMP has a lackadaisical approach towards collection and disposal of waste here.

On Tuesday night, fire engines had to be rushed to Poorna Prajna Nagar in Uttarahalli to douse a fire on the main road, which may otherwise have spread to a nearby park. The office-bearers of the Poorna Prajna Housing Cooperative Society noticed the fire on the Uttarahalli-Kengeri Road, and informed the fire services. Some mischief-makers had set the garbage dumped here ablaze, after which the dry bamboo grass growing nearby also caught fire.

Many wards, such as Uttarahalli, Vasantpura, Hemmigepura, Gottigere and Begur, are facing such problems as waste is not cleared by BBMP for days together. 

Residents have been complaining about the menace, but no action has been taken by the civic agency so far. The many sites lying vacant are used not just by pourakarmikas but also residents as small landfills.

Uphill task

The stretch from Uttarahalli-Poornaprajna Road towards NICE Road underpass in BEML Layout, RR Nagar, presents a sorry sight. The once pristine hilly area has turned into a waste dump. The vacant sites facing Mantri Alpyne complex are owned by real estate developers who have fenced their lands in parts, but people still throw waste here.

On this road itself, there are two private waste collection units. A worker here says, “We are not aware of who comes and dumps garbage on this narrow, uphill stretch of road. But every morning, we see the road full of waste. Unable to bear the foul smell, we sometimes burn it as this land falls neither in Uttarahalli nor RR Nagar ward.”

Poorna Prajna Nagar’s woes

In Poorna Prajna Nagar, the vacant sites have turned into dumping ground. To tackle the problem, residents burn the waste, which includes plastic, glass, metallic parts and medical waste.  

H Anilesh, secretary, Poorna Prajna Nagar Resident Welfare Association (PPNRWA), says, “We face problems of waste disposal every day, as there are seven pourakarmikas who do the work at their own will. Although biometric attendance is mandatory for them, you can hardly see them working. BBMP has given them no tools for waste collection. The one vehicle allotted for the whole layout is usually away for repairs.”

Indifferent BBMP

Residents living across from 1-4th main road and near BMTC depot no. 33 complain that they have never seen any BBMP worker collecting waste in the last five years. 

Sudha (name changed), a resident of 3rd main, said, “The pourakarmikas can be seen only on 29th main road where the corporator lives. The corporator is indifferent to people’s complaints and claims he is doing his best to address the problem.”

There are 90-100 apartment complexes with 40-80 flats per complex in Poorna Prajna Nagar. Only a few complexes of more than 40 flats have a tie-up with a bulk collector.