CMCs to blame for rain mess

CMCs to blame for rain mess
They Fail To Locate Landfills, Still Dump Rubbish In Drains
The Times of India

Bangalore: The rain came down, and flood waters rose in CMC areas. So did the sewage levels. Residents cried foul and officials dithered. But it appears it was a self-made mess.

Over the years, City Municipal Councils in and around Bangalore have been dumping tonnes of garbage into storm water drains in the hope that it will go away. Pourakarmikas, residents and industries have also been doing it: Dump it.

But it has raised a stink: the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has rapped the officials. For, this casual disposal of waste has clogged up all the exit points.

Two months ago, KSPCB had served notices to 7 CMC chiefs for violating solid waste management norms. “We had warned them against disposing of waste in a haphazard manner,” KSPCB sources told TOI.

In 2000, following the Supreme Court ruling that urban local bodies (ULBs) should dispose of solid waste in a scientific manner, the KSPCB had asked all 226 ULBs to identify lands that could be converted into landfill sites. Later, 215 ULBs were authorised by the KSPCB to procure land and 115 have done so.

While the apex court had set 2003 as the deadline to complete land transfer, procurement and setting up of engineering systems, the date just went by. Land was identified and authorised in Bingipura village for waste of Anekal TMC and Bommanahalli CMC, but the site is yet to be procured. In Kengeri TMC, the land is private and not transferred to local body. Things seem brighter at Mavallipura where Byatrayanapura CMC and Yelahanka dispose of their waste. When the SC deadline could not be met, a new one was issued — 2004-end, but nothing happened. Now the new deadline is December 2005. Will it pass too?

Don’t trash it!

In 2000, SC ruled urban local bodies should dispose of solid waste in scientific manner.
Apex court set 2003 as deadline to put system in place.
New 2004-end deadline not met.
CMCs, pourakarmikas, residents, industries continue to dump garbage into drains.
Pollution Control Board serves notices to CMC commissioners for violating norms. What a shame for IT City!