Garbage collection in parts of Bengaluru is expected to return to normal after a two-day disruption caused by a protest near the Bellahalli waste processing unit was resolved late on Wednesday.
Karee Gowda, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), confirmed to The Hindu that the issue has been settled and that no further meeting is required. He said orders have now been issued to take up development works in and around landfill sites and waste processing plants, addressing the concerns raised by residents.
The disruption began on February 16, when villagers near the Bellahalli landfill blocked more than 150 garbage lories from entering the site. Lorries carrying waste from several parts of the city were unable to unload, affecting collection and disposal for two days.
Sources said that as access to the Bellahalli road was blocked, a few lorries allegedly attempted to head towards Doddaballapur to dump the waste elsewhere. However, residents in that area also stopped the vehicles and sent them back.
The protest was triggered by complaints that funds promised for local infrastructure development had not been released for nearly two years. Residents had alleged that continuous movement of garbage-laden lorries had damaged internal roads and that the dumping poses serious health concerns. They demanded that the government fulfil earlier assurances linked to waste management activities around the landfill.
