Garbage trucks to raise stink

Garbage trucks to raise stink
Contractors Lock Horns With BBMP, To Park Tippers In Wards
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: Bangaloreans, be prepared to wake up to heaps of garbage at your doorstep, this weekend. The new health tender floated at a whopping Rs 270 crore has hit a roadblock. This time, the garbage contractors have locked horns with the BBMP for not providing them a place to dump garbage.
On Friday, the contractors handling the 27 packages threatened to strand the tippers along with the garbage load in the respective wards, till BBMP sends an escort with the tippers to designated landfills. The strike will bring to halt a fleet of 280-odd garbage tippers that collect 2,300 tonnes of garbage everyday.
Shortage of landfills is an old and persistent problem, admit officials. While the new tender was implemented on March 21, till date, the contractors have been left to hunt for landfills in far off villages and highways along Bannerghatta Road, Hoskote and Kolar. Last week, two garbage tippers were waylaid and damaged by villagers in the city outskirts opposing dumping of waste in their backyard. “We are forced to pay farmers Rs 500 per truck load of garbage to let us dump in their lands. But now, even they are refusing to allow us in the village,’’ said Gopinath Reddy, a contractor.
Seconding the fact, Balasubramaniam, secretary of contractors’ association said: “A tipper was stopped and set on fire last week, while another was stoned by villagers. After it started raining, farmers have stopped entertaining us as they want to till their land. While, some complain of the stench from non-segregated waste with meat and chicken. With land prices going up, farmers want to protect their lands.’’
Ironically, the new tender insists that BBMP identify landfills. A clause states that any contractor caught dumping garbage at places other than designated landfills would be liable for 100 per cent penalty. Sadly, the BBMP is still hunting for landfill sites.
“We have zeroed in on a landfill at erstwhile Bommanahalli CMC, which is behind IIM-B,’’ said a senior health official.
BBMP commissioner K Jairaj, claimed that he was not aware of the contractors’ problem, though he admitted that there was severe shortage of landfills. “We want at least 1,000 acres more landfills. However, most landfills that we have are being opposed by residents of the nearby areas,’’ added Jairaj.
“Landfill at Mandur is awaiting work orders for a power-generation plant. Malavalli allows only about 40 truck loads of garbage,’’ added contractors.
“We want to allot landfills along all arterial roads leading out of Bangalore city. But we are yet to finalise it with KIADB,’’ said health minister R Ashok.