Protests halt trucks, but stockpile of deadly refuse-derived fuel poses huge threat

BENGALURU: After Mavallipura and Mandur, residents of Seegehalli and Kannalli are now up in arms against garbage from the city being dumped in the two villages. Strident protests last month resulted in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) suspending operations at two of waste processing units in the villages, some 28km southeast of Bengaluru. While the fear of disease is all-pervading, the immediate concern of the residents is a stockpile of refuse-derived fuel (RDF), a combustible material derived from processing garbage.
Living conditions are far from hygienic and residents take whatever precautions they can.Some of it borders on the bizarre. Vimala RS for example, runs a grocery business from behind a glass wall. Her shop in Kannalli is located barely 500 metres away from the two garbage processing units. The stench from these units is overpowering. The area is mosquito-infested and Vimala, a senior citizen, also has to deal with swarms of houseflies.
The RDF poses a threat of another kind. RDF is of high calorific value and comprises combustible components of garbage such as non-recyclable plastic, cardboard and heavy metals. It is a fire hazard. It is used in cement factories as fuel instead of coal.
While the Kannalli garbage processing unit is spread across 24 acres and has a capacity to process 500 tonnes of garbage every day, the plant in Seegehalli is spread across 7.4 acres and can process a maximum of 200 tonnes per day. Both plants, however, were running well below capacity due to a lack of technical supervision.
Many residents have fled their homes, but those who have nowhere else to go have covered the doors and windows of their homes in mesh or glass — much like Vimala.
“My husband has been suffering from a skin allergy for one year now and his condition is only getting worse,” Vimala said. “He can’t run the shop now. All of this is because of the ‘gobbarada’ factory (processing unit). We’ve lost our appetite because of the stench and the polluted air.” Many other residents have similar complaints.
Both waste processing plants halted operations following huge protests by the residents on December 8. Residents had demanded that the civic agency stop converting mixed waste into RDF. The BBMP has stopped sending its garbage trucks to these villages, but it hasn’t solved the problem. Unhygienic conditions are an ongoing issue.
“They bring this waste here to keep Bengaluru clean, but they are suffocating us,” said Pushpa Yogesh, a resident of Seegehalli. “We have to cover our noses when we step out to avoid the stench. Even at home, we use mosquito repellants, room fresheners, and cleaning agents to keep out the smell. This has to end.”
The Kannalli unit that houses huge heaps of RDF witnessed a fire mishap a year ago. The metallic shelter under which the RDF was stored, collapsed in the fire. Neither a police investigation nor a separate investigation by the BBMP could pinpoint the cause of the fire. One official suggested: “It’s the heat produced from the RDF that impacted the metallic roof leading to its collapse,” one official said.
Yet, the Kannalli plant still houses hundreds of tonnes of RDF. “What if it catches fire?” one villager asked. Lakshman, Pollution Control Board chairperson, said the RDF cannot be buried in landfills. “We forced the BBMP to transport more than 30,000 tonnes of RDF from various plants to cement factories,” Lakshman said. “It has to be handled as per the solid waste management rules 2016 and central pollution control board norms.”