ENVIRONMENT SUPPORT GROUP105, EAST END ‘B’ MAIN ROAD

JAYANAGAR 9TH BLOCK, BANGALORE -560069

Mavallipura Municipal Mavallipura Municipal Solid Waste Disposal CaseSolid Waste Disposal Case

Dumping at Mavallipura

While construction of the landfill is still going on as per the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, BMP (Bangalore Mahanagara Palike), the municipal authority of Bangalore is short of land to dispose off waste.

The BMP, leased a farmer’s land for dumping in May, 2003. Part of it is owned by the Forest Department

Approx. 300 truckloads of waste is dumped each day.

Waste contains unsegregated hospital waste and hazardous waste.

Chain reactions…….

The waste was burnt to reduce the volume of waste and to ward off insects. Some contaminants become air-borne. 20 tankers of water used to extinguish the fire. 4 wells had been dug up to collect leachate from the dump.Overflowing leachate during the rains reached surface and well water downstreamThe water from series of water bodies joins the Tippagondanahalli Reservoir.Contamination of groundwater is highly likely.

Reuse and Recycling at Mavallipura

One rag picker basically collected milk sachets and other plastic(12 kg), glass(1 kg), iron and steel(8 Kg), tins and cans (5kg), batteries and cells, miscellaneous reusable and recyclables

The entire area had about 50-70 rag pickers making a living from this illegal dump.

Mostly women and children Suffer from severe

Respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases

Social and Environmental Impacts

In a water quality test that ESG got done high level of Cadmium was found.

Mavallipura and about 8 neighbouring villages had to bear stench day and night.

People suffering from various respiratory and skin diseases, allergies etc. (according to a medical camp conducted by FRLHT)

Farming has been severely affected.

Jakkur Flying school and Yelahanka Airforce Base are under threat from bird hits.

0

0.005

0.01

0.015

0.02

0.025

0.03

0.035

0.04

0.045

0.05

Desirable Limit as

per IS 10500/1991

Permissible Limit 700

FRLHT (Control)

100

Leachate

275

Anand Borewell

400

Mavallipura Tank

1050

Hanumanth. Open

Well

2500

Muniswampa.

Borewell

Distance fom the dump

Variance of Cadmium downstream from the dump with distance

Water Quality Test Results

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

MPN Count

Requirement (Desirable

Limit) as perIS 10500/1991

100 Leachate

400 Mavallipura

Tank

2500 Muniswampa.

Borewell

Distance from the dump

MPN Count downstream from the dump

MPN ColiformBacteria, 100ml, Max

Fecal ColiformBacteria/100ml

E.Coli Bacteriaper 100 ml

People’s struggle Members of the Dalit

Sangharsha Samiti (DSS), a depressed people’s movement initiated opposition to the dump but did not have information on how to go about it and whom to approach.

Their efforts to resolve the issue at the Local Panchayat and few other government agencies but these bodies refused to take any action or help.

Local Community Initiatives In 2005 DSS approached ESG,

and were guided on filing complaints with the KSPCB and given information on legal provisions.

Several representations were made to the KSPCB (Karnataka State Pollution Board).

KSPCB sent notices to BMP to take appropriate measures to minimise pollution. A personal hearing was also held to discuss the dumping in Mavallipura. Decisions taken were not followed by the BMP

KSPCB filed a criminal case against the lessor, the landowner but surprisingly not against the lessee i.e., the BMP.

Recent Developments

Locals gather to stop trucks from dumping February this year.

Police complaints filed by both the DSS and the land owner claiming threat to life and damage to property.

August 2006, about 1000 people from neighbouring villages gathered and damaged property when members of the DSS went to collect photographs as evidence for the case filed against the landowner.

Forest department wakes up

In the midst of the complaints, meetings, discussions and high level consultations within government departments, the forest department realises the land on which waste was being dumped belongs to them and not to the farmer

The mountains of waste is burnt overnight, fresh soil brought from elsewhere and covered

Forest Department plans to restore the area

Mavallipura Faces other issues

Landfill site close to Mavallipura despite protests from communities

Capacity of Landfill and Bioreactor will not be able to cater to the amount of waste generated.

Landfill scientifically inefficient to handle toxic non degradable sludge