Bengaluru: Trapped under a toxic cloud

The air dangerously polluted with the open, uncontrolled burning of plastic and toxic industrial waste. Frothing and foaming with effluents, a river in perennial decay. And a community of over 20,000 people in deep despair, its senior citizens and children struggling with serious respiratory and skin disorders.

This nightmare is a daily, unrelenting reality for the residents of Kambipura, Anchepalya and Doddabele in the Vrishabhavathi river valley off Mysuru Road, home to a number of gated communities. Fuelling this blatant violation of every environmental law are over a hundred illegal, small industrial units that have sprung up on land encroached from the river’s buffer zone. Located just outside the Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits, the areas affected are slated for integration into the Palike jurisdiction soon. Until three years back, these villages were a picture of serenity as all the hustle and bustle of the city ended at the NICE road junction near Kengeri. Today, the change in scenario is telling.

Unlicensed, influential

Unlicensed, unauthorised and influential, the men and machines behind this unfolding eco disaster have managed to duck every attempt by the local residents to halt the waste-burning. Repeated complaints to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the local Panchayath and other officials have not helped.

Here’s how the polluting units work: “They are essentially involved in plastic segregation, recycling, smelting and dyeing. They get the solid waste, mostly plastic and e-waste from the city, burn and segregate the valuable part and dump the rejects into the river,” informs Narahari Rao, an IT consultant residing in a gated community in Kambipura.

Read | Collective effort must to halt waste burning

The plastic is washed in chemicals and left to dry in the sun during the day. The segregated waste is set afire past midnight. Residents say they have often woken up under a thick smog, a hazardous state that would make it tough to even breathe. A spot visit by DH showed the burning continues even during day, but hidden deep inside agricultural land.

The organised burning in the night happens three to four times a week. “This typically occurs under the cover of darkness between 7 pm and 2 am. The carcinogenic smoke hangs around the surrounding for more than 8-10 hours. Constant inhaling has been causing severe lung related diseases, burning of the eyes and skin allergies,” says Rao.

Buffer zone

For decades, Nayandahalli and surroundings have been the main centre for plastic segregation, recycling and smelting. Many of the units have now shifted to the buffer zone of the Vrushabhavathi river. “They started coming here over the last three years. They salvage whatever they can get from the waste, burn the plastic and dump the residue into the river.

Read: Move beyond eviction notices

To make matters even worse, tankers have been caught dumping industrial effluents into the river. “They are supposed to take the waste to Kunigal for treatment. Instead, the effluents are diverted and dumped here,” Rao informs. Vigilant citizens caught one of the tankers two weeks back with help from the Kumbalgodu police.

Inevitably, the rising pollution has severely impacted the local ecosystem affecting flora, fauna and even wildlife. “The burning has often led to bushfire, threatening the lives of 132 bird species, snakes, peacocks, civets and monkeys. The whole ecosystem is impacted.”

Besides, the solid and wet waste dumping in and around the river, has increased the risk of flooding and riverbank destabilisation.

Black spots

The waste include rejects from hotels, butcheries and commercial establishments, industrial rejects and construction debris. “Many black spots have accumulated along the village roadside compromising the health of the residents.”

Untreated chemical effluents from factories are transported in containers and illegally dumped into the river. “This activity too happens in the night and leaves the residents with unbearable stench. This activity induces heavy metals contaminating local aquifers feeding the local population.”

As if this is not dangerous enough, farmers downstream use the contaminated water to irrigate vegetable farms. “Eventually, all this finds their way back to our plates!”

Complaints galore

Residents say their fight against the polluting industrial units is clearly in alignment with the directives / orders of the Karnataka High Court, Lokayukta and the National Greens Tribunal (NGT). Since January 2020, several complaints have been lodged with the Kumbalgodu Panchayat and Police, the Bengaluru South Taluk Panchayath, KSPCB and the State Environment Ministry.

Beyond assurances and superficial action, the issue has not been resolved. Residents say multiple agencies have made several site visits. But so far, only one unit has been shut, in April last year. Despite that closure, several tens of units have mushroomed in the area. Reason: Lack of monitoring and enforcement.