This is the empty land opposite The Cambridge International School on Silver County Road in HSR extension. Residents have reported that garbage is burnt regularly out here for the last seven to eight months. But the BBMP health inspector of the area expresses helplessness as the area does not belong to the BBMP. However, the residents allege that they have spotted several BBMP garbage autos dumping garbage on roadsides (Kasavanahalli Road near Amrutha College) and even part of the dumping on this vacant land in Shantigram panchayat. This is a serious issue as the fence is eating the crop here. When BBMP is supposed to prevent garbage burning, its contractors are perpetrating it in non-BBMP jurisdictions.
“The burning is not only here… there are many such spots. No use, no one can help. Just suffer,” says a dejected resident Prejith. “Some death should happen. Only then, someone will open their eyes. It’s a complex issue. I have seen BBMP mini autos filled with waste coming this side for dumping.”
Resident Laly Randolf says, “We will find a way out… though may not be immediate or very effective in the beginning. Deep rooted issue… uprooting will take time.”
Kasavanahalli resident activist Vishnu Prasad said, “The BBMP said they can’t act, but will issue letter to the panchayat.”
The residents are not stopping at this. On Twitter, they are reaching out to D Randeep, BBMP Special Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) through videos and photos. “Tweets have more visibility and (looks like) more accountability,” says Laly.
Another resident on condition on anonymity had much to reveal about the nefarious state of affairs around this area of Choodasandra, Rayasandra and Shantigram. “The BBMP is not taking waste from the Kasavanahalli area; they are giving this work to the local people who are cleaning up both the BBMP and gram panchayat areas like Choodasandra and Rayasandra. These people have many tractors and collect waste from many apartments for a price. These are the rohingyas who have built tents and living here with their families. They collect the waste from surrounding areas and dump it in the 1-2 acre land here. Once the waste is dried over 3-4 days, they take away the ones that can be recycled and burn the rest at night around 10.30pm or 11pm.”
Another resident attested to this by saying, “They pour kerosene and diesel and burn the garbage every night. The smell is in the air. Kasavanahalli residents are breathing toxic air all night. You can see the heavy, dark smole even till 7am as the garbage is still burning. After one year of constant exposure to this might make every child have asthma or other breathing problems.”
The residents allege that the garbage contractor is dumping the wet waste in isolated areas and getting benefitted. So is the person collecting the recyclable waste. Although the residents have complained the state pollution control board and the cops, nothing concrete has ever come out of it. The burning continues unabated.
