Garbage contractors coaxed to resume transportation

Garbage contractors coaxed to resume transportation
The Hindu

State Government requested to allot 1,000 acres of land to set up landfills

# It may take two more days for the situation to become normal
# More than 3,600 tonnes of garbage generated on Saturday and Sunday has not been lifted


BANGALORE: The stand-off between private garbage contractors and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials was finally resolved on Monday after Commissioner K. Jairaj coaxed them to "resume work in the interest of citizens."

With this, transportation and disposal of waste that has accumulated since Friday resumed on Monday. But it may take two more days for the situation to become normal.

Demanding designated dumping yards the contractors had stopped transportation from Friday and 293 lories laden with garbage lined up all over the city. While Friday's waste of 1,800 tonnes was rotting in the lorries, more than 3,600 tonnes of garbage generated on Saturday and Sunday had not been lifted from the areas cleaned by the private contractors.

Mr. Jairaj, who held a meeting with the contractors on Monday, promised to make alternative arrangements for dumping at the earliest.

For the time being, of the 293 garbage lorries that have lined up in various places, 100 can be disposed of in Mavallipura and 100 at the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC) plant in Bommanahalli. The contractors have been requested to make arrangements for dumping the remaining 93 lorry loads.

"We have no problem in carrying out our duties if the dumping yards are allotted. The Commissioner, who has failed to provide the dumping places, is now saying that we are protesting because we have been fined for dereliction of duty. This is a false allegation and our demand for dumping yards is on for years," general secretary of the Bangalore Mahanagara Swachate Lorry Maalikara Mattu Guttigedarara Sangha S. Balasubramaniam said.

Landfills

Earlier, Mr Jairaj told presspersons that he had written to the State Government requesting for at least 1,000 acres of land to set up landfills.

"We will move the High Court to get the stay pertaining to a portion of the dumping yard in Mavallipura vacated and increase the capacity of the scientific landfill being constructed there and in KCDC from 300 tonnes to 600 tonnes," he said.

The land surrounding KCDC plant in Bommanahalli would also be acquired to increase the plant's capacity. "We have also requested the Government to allot us some land from the encroached land that has been recovered and auctioned. I have convened a meeting of officials on Thursday to discuss and work out modalities," he said.

The civic body would also write to the Government to depute a retired Defence or Transport Department official to manage BBMP's vehicle fleet and declare BBMP officials as land acquisition officials, he said.

The developers of waste-to-power plant in Mandur would be asked to expedite work and arrangements for power and water supply to the plant would be made. Arrangements would also be made to dump at least 1,000 tonnes of waste in Sigehalli and Kyalasanahalli, Mr Jairaj added.