Living with smelly garbage down their street is something that people have become accustomed to of late in the city. But in Yelahanka New Town there is an added problem. A foul smell from the water treatment plant of a garment factory nearby has made life miserable for the people of the area. Despite complaints to the pollution control board no action has been taken and for the over seven hours that the garment factory operates the treatment plant, the people of Yelahanka New Town housing board cannot even open their windows, let alone step out of their homes.
The residents of second cross who have been living here for over 18 years say that it has converted from a light industrial area to a heavy industrial area over the past seven years. “We have to deal with the noise and smoke emitting from the chemical industries here every day, which is a huge health hazard,” they complain, wondering how a gas company too was given permission to operate from their residential area. The gas unit stores a large number of cylinders and works haphazardly, they say with concern.
The problem is growing with many homes in the area giving way to industrial sheds where heavy industrial material is stored.
The people find they have no one to turn to as the BBMP has been turning a deafear to their problems, which include the absence of street lights.
“Taking advantage of the dark streets factory workers have taken to hanging out on them drunkenly thanks to the wine shop nearby,” the fed up people add.
The several vacant lots in the locality are attracting snakes and have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, they also lament.