Local villagers of Kannahalli on Tuesday held Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner G Kumar Naik captive inside a garbage processing facility on Magadi Road for a few minutes.

Decccan Herald reports the incident occurred when Naik visited the facility along with BBMP officials in presence of media to speak about initiatives taken by the authorities to deal with the garbage menace.

Villagers who complained about the foul smell reportedly locked up the 24-acre plant and raised slogans against the BBMP. They demanded closure of the unit and the neighbouring Seegehalli waste processing plant.

He was freed after he ensured the villagers a meeting would be held soon to discuss the problems faced by the local people.

Channappa, president of Kannahalli-Seegehalli Kasa Vilevari Horata Samiti told DH they have set a deadline of January 3.

“Currently, about 80-100 trucks enter both the units from more than 40 wards. Thirty villages and six panchayats fall under Seegehalli and Kannahalli. The residents are having a tough time as foul smell emanating from both the plants can be felt at a distance of five to six kilometres. The mosquito menace has also increased,” he told the newspaper.

However authorities at Kannahalli plant said they carry out regular spraying in order to ensure that villagers do not face any problems.

The report also stated that people in Yeshwantpur Hobli, too, was unhappy with the functioning of the waste processing plant there.

One of the residents was quoted saying, “At night, the waste water from the plant flows into the Lakshmipura Lake and the water from there in turn flows into the Thippagondanahalli reservoir.”