Villagers living around the Mavallipura dumping yard have won a major victory as Mayor D. Venkatesh Murthy on Wednesday assured them that the dumping yard in their vicinity would be shut down and no garbage would be dumped at the Mavallipura landfill. At a meeting with leaders of Mavallipura, the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and others leading the agitation against the dumping of garbage, Mr Murthy said that the landfill will be shut down following a resolution in the BBMP council.
A notice will be issued to Ramky Infrastructure Limited (RIL), who operated the landfill, as they have grossly violated the agreement with the BBMP in processing waste as per the Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2000. Mr Murthy also gave an assurance that drinking water would be supplied through tankers and dispensaries would be set up to treat the people. However, some demands like providing employment to the family members of a deceased farmer on compassionate grounds and monetary compensation would be decided after meeting the BBMP commissioner Rajneesh Goel, the mayor said.
The farmers’ delegation led by KRRS leader Kodihalli Chndrashekar submitted a memorandum with 11 demands, of which five have been more or less resolved. Mr Chandrashekar urged the BBMP to implement the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) order to segregate the accumulated wet waste into compost and dispose of the rest scientifically. A meeting will be held with KSPCB, airport authorities and defence authorities to ascertain the legal implications of the shutting down of the landfill. He also said that discussions will be held with the KSPCB.
Panchayat member B. Srinivas has demanded permanent water supply to the area as the ground water has been contaminated. He also demanded that the cases filed against the farmers who fought against the unscientific method of waste processing must be withdrawn. The other demands included treating the ailments of the villagers free of cost and filing criminal cases against the BBMP and Ramky for polluting the environment.