BBMP-Railways' tussle over clearing garbage leaves Malleswaram residents stranded

Heaps of garbage strewn on the railway land turned dumping yard in Malleswaram, Bengaluru is making the residents uneasy, due to the unbearable stench.  

At the point where the 11th main road in Malleswaram begins, stands a wall of uneven height, and beyond this wall, lies a mountain of garbage from which a terrible smell emanates.

Though the situation is in dire need of urgent attention, it has been kept pending by the Railways for a long time.

According to Rekha Chari, President, Malleswaram Swabhimana Initiative (MSI), “The solution to the issue lies in the hands of the railways, as they need to cordon off the area. Unless they give out strict guidelines, and seal off the area, it will be misused.”

While people of the area have been knocking on the doors of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for help, rag pickers, encroachers have been misusing the area, and adding to the problem. To keep the situation in control, BBMP comes to the support of the people, and aids in clearing the debris.

But uncontrolled dumping of refuse has made the situation worse. Often, people set fire to the garbage mound and burn the scraping, as it keeps accumulating. “This smoke from the dumping ground is extremely harmful. When the land catches fire, and the smoke surges, the BBMP is called to douse the fire”, Chari added.

The dumping ground has now become a perpetual talking point in the area.

Seeking anonymity, a resident said, “The situation is only becoming worse. Months of neglect and carelessness has led to this situation today. There is more than one reason behind this menace.”

From the 6th cross to the 9th cross, along the same lane, a wall separates heaps of dry and wet garbage. “This dump yard is seen growing with limitless amount of garbage being dumped every single day. People of the area have failed in their efforts, to make the railway make a positive move,” mentioned another resident, also seeking anonymity.

According to a TOI report, Kondaiah, BBMP health inspector for ward 65, of which Malleswaram 11th Main Road is a part, said, “A high compound wall needs to be built for the situation to be resolved. The Railways engineer had accompanied us on our visit to the spot last month and told us they would write to the Centre, seeking permission to build the wall.”

(Photographs by Arundhati Sarkar)

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