Transcript The story of Mavallipura - Environment Support Group

Mavallipura Municipal Solid
Waste Disposal Case
ENVIRONMENT SUPPORT GROUP
105, EAST END ‘B’ MAIN ROAD
J A Y A N A G A R 9 TH B L O C K , B A N G A L O R E - 5 6 0 0 6 9
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 airborne.
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 downstream
The 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
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
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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.
Water Quality Test Results
Variance of Cadmium downstream from the
dump with distance
0.05
0.045
0.04
0.035
0.03
0.025
0.02
0.015
0.01
0.005
0
Desirable Limit as Permissible Limit
per IS 10500/1991
700
FRLHT (Control)
100
Leachate
275
400
1050
Anand Borewell Mavallipura Tank Hanumanth. Open
Well
Distance fom the dump
2500
Muniswampa.
Borewell
MPN Count downstream from the dump
MPN Count
600
500
MPN Coliform
Bacteria, 100
ml, Max
400
300
Fecal Coliform
Bacteria/100ml
200
100
E.Coli Bacteria
per 100 ml
0
Requirem ent
(Desirable
Lim it) as per
IS 10500/1991
100
Leachate
400
Mavallipura
Tank
Distance from the dump
2500
Munisw am pa.
Borew ell
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