From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jun 30: A garbage lobby involved in the management and transportation of garbage was behind the mess in the State Capital and was preventing the State Government to find a permanent solution to the garbage crisis in Bangalore, alleged the Opposition BJP members in the State Assembly on Monday.

BJP and JD(S) members Aravind Limbavali, S R Vishwanath, S Suresh Kumar, Ashwath Narayan, Ravi Subramanya (all BJP) and former Chief Minister and JD(S) floor leader H D Kumaraswamy raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly on Monday and urged the Government to find an alternative solution to end the garbage crisis the City has been facing for the last few years.

The opposition members demanded that the government must give incentives and land to entrepreneurs to establish plants to convert 4,000 tonnes of daily garbage produced by the City into power generation, compost and other fertilizers.

The city generates around 4,000 tonnes of garbage every day. Of this, around 1,800 tonnes was being sent to Mandur landfill.

With the communities living around the Mandur landfill urging the BBMP stop sending waste there and cause health problems to the people, the BBMP was forced to send waste to the landfills in Doddaballapur, SBingipura and Lakshmipura.

The opposition members said the crisis was purely the result of mismanagement and the BBMP dragging its feet on various waste management projects, including a waste to power project proposed to be set up at Subbarayanapalya on the outskirts of the city by a private company.

Kumaraswamy said the City contributed nearly 75 per cent of the revenue to the State exchequer but no effort has been made clear filed up garbage in residential arrears.

Congress member N AHarris demanded total ban on the use of plastic in the City.

Limbavali suggested to the government stop transporting garbage to Mandur landfill after six months, a promise made by the Government to residents of villages around Mandur.

The Congress member urged the Government to provide tax holidays and clear necessary approvals immediately to enable entrepreneurs to set up treatment plants at different parts of the City.

In the name of setting up the treatment plant, Limbavali said a private entrepreneur has mortgaged BBMP land and borrowed a loan from a bank to start private business.