Bangalore Says Enough is Enough on Garbage Crisis

Bangalore: It appears to be crisis time once again for Bangalore's garbage management - or rather lack of management. Back in 2012, Bangalore faced a garbage crisis that made the life of its residents difficult - and also made international headlines. That was when the villagers of Mandur off Old Madras Road outside the city, where the garbage is dumped, refused to allow any further dumping. Garbage piled up in the city, and the authorities negotiated with the villagers for some more time to sort out the issue.

One and a half years on, the dumping at Mandur continues. The villagers of Mandur are once again saying, enough is enough and are sitting in protest outside the dump - even as authorities ask for another eight months time.

One of the women told us, "We can't live with this smell. Any doctor we go to says we are sick because of the garbage and they can't do anything. We will not take anymore garbage."

Plans had been announced in the past for plants that would convert garbage to energy as well as strict segregation of waste at source which would reduce the amount going to the dump. The government says this time it really means it when it asks for just a few more months to sort things out.

Ramalinga Reddy, the minister-in-charge of Bangalore city told NDTV, "Now we have four projects...sanctioned. By these four projects, we can segregate more than 2000 metric tons of garbage. These projects need at least 7 to 8 months time...After that, definitely we won't send garbage to that area. I am very much concerned for those people."
But the villagers of Mandur are far from convinced.

One of the men taking part in the protest told NDTV, "For 10 years they have been bringing and dumping garbage. They keep asking for one year's time, six months time. This has just been going on."

Another man added, "If there is hell in the world, it is here in Mandur. We don't need to go anywhere to find hell."

The road to hell it seems is paved with Bangalore's garbage.