Bengaluru: The villagers who are protesting from the past 6 days against the dumping of mixed waste at the two processing units in Doddaballapur taluk, have finally agreed to come to the city for a discussion with the Chief minister.
Earlier, the communities from the villages in Doddaballapur taluk had refused to meet Siddaramaiah. In protest, they prevented the garbage-laden trucks from the city from entering the villages to go to the units.
However, on Friday, a group of residents, accompanied by Hanumanthanatha swami of Kunchitiga Samsthana Math, came to the city for a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The city’s new development minister K.J. George and senior officials visited the villages on Wednesday, inspected the two units and tried to convince the communities to give the BBMP more time to set things right. However, the residents refused to budge and the talks failed.
The residents, who came to attend the meeting, brought with them samples of the polluted water from the tank near the Terra firma processing unit and borewells. They also brought fronds from a tamarind tree to show how the polluted water had affected their crops and plantations.
Meanwhile, with garbage not being sent to Doddaballapur, mounds of waste lies uncleared across the city. The number of black spots (where garbage is dumped and gets piled up) has increased, while the number of complaints about the same have also seen a steady rise. Residents now fear the outbreak of communicable diseases in the city.
The solution to the city’s garbage problems now depends on the outcome of the meeting between CM and the protesting communities.
Mayor Manjunath Reddy, K.J. George and senior officials and other cabinet Ministers were present at the meeting.
