Bengaluru’s garbage mounds set to reach greater heights as Bellahalli landfill reaches brim
Bengalureans, get prepared to face more garbage on the streets and pavements of the city as the landfill at Bellahalli is almost full up.
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Bengaluru: What’s the one sight that you abhor but are forced to see on an everyday basis on the streets of Bengaluru?
Well, no prizes for guessing it. It is the heaps and heaps of garbage that you find strewn across the garden city. Be it main roads or pavements, you are often greeted by the ugly sight and stench of the garbage.
With rainy season around the corner, there is certainly no relief from the monstrous garbage heaps as civic authorities are not up to the mark.
Though the officials know that the landfill at Bellahalli has been almost filled, and have taken up some rectification works, but it seems unsatisfactory. Incidentally, Bellahalli is the only landfill for the city.
Earlier, garbage was being dumped in Mandur, near Bengaluru, but as the residents staged a protest due to the increasing groundwater contamination as a consequence of unchecked dumping, officials had to choose Bellahalli as the dumping yard.
It is interesting to note that the garden city generates 5,700 tons of garbage on an everyday basis. Out of this, only 400 tons goes to waste processing units. About 200 tons is sent for waste processing at a processing unit in Doddaballapur. The remaining garbage finds its way to Bellahalli.
Speaking to a local news channel, Manjunath Prasad, BBMP commissioner said, “The landfill in Bellahalli is almost full now. We can dump garbage there for another 15 days. As a precautionary measure, we are looking at abandoned quarries in the vicinity of Bellahalli landfill. We are preparing to use them as landfills. A tender process in this regard is underway. The situation is not worrisome as we have vacant quarries available there.”
The local news channel adds that at present one load of mixed garbage from every ward is being sent to Bellahalli. Consequently, autos carrying garbage can be seen stationary. Residents certainly don’t know what to do.
