Let's do it in our back-yard (LDIIOBY)!

When it comes to the latest Garbage City tag, there was indeed a PIL filed. Fighting the negative tag was Neeraj Mishra, a resident of Indiranagar. Two years ago, Neeraj filed a PIL in the High Court of Karnataka when he found that garbage near his house had rented the place for free and the BBMP was letting it flourish.

- - - He says, “I have been staying in this city for last seven years. During my stay, I observed that garbage is always dumped right beside my house. Although the BBMP truck used to clear it in the morning, the carts that collect household waste again used to dump it here. I spoke to the local corporator and engineers about the issue but they said that for the last 15-20 years this has been the place for dumping garbage and it cannot be altered. Hence, one fine day I decided to take some measures and filed a PIL in the High Court.”

- - - The officials woke up to the occasion only when Neeraj filed a contempt of court. He said, “It has been three months that the park and this neighbouring area got fresh air to breath in. I have spent an amount of  `84,000 in this pursuit, which could have been avoided.”

- - - Neeraj feels that citizens should be aware of their civic duties. Today, there is a sign board beside a park on 5th cross that states, ‘Do not dump garbage here. You will be fined `500’.

Although this appears to be a regular sign board that we witness across the city, this is probably one place where BBMP will not like to meddle with garbage. Thanks to Neeraj.

For the full report in the New Indian Express, click here.

Well, after a valiant fight, Neeraj has managed to clear up his back-yard (front here, I guess). But, he has essentially given voice to the NIMBY (not in my back-yard) syndrome, and the dump has very likely shifted to another end of the road. When the residents there start making a noise, it will shift to yet another location, till such times as it finds a location in the vicinity of a more 'accommodative' resident. But, with more and more residents becoming less and less accommodative, BBMP has a serious problem on its hands.

A large part of the problem can be sorted out by segregation, and composting of the wet waste in one's own back-yard. But, in highly densified residential areas, there are limits to this, and consequently community based disposal arramgements becomes necessary, since more and more the folks living in the outlying areas are also beginning to resist dumping of waste from the city in their back-yards (check this report in the ToI). Viewed this way, perhaps the members of the community need to look for some land in their neighbourhood where this essential job can be carried out. And, perhaps the only open land available is the neighbourhood park.

Now, all parks may not be suited to the purpose, many being too small, and others being surrounded on all sides by residences. But, in Koramangala atleast, there is one park that appears to fit the bill, being fairly large in size, as also having a fairly wide main road running adjacent to its entire length. This is the Wipro park (click here to see it on a map of the locality), which largely faces commercial complexes along the '80ft peripheral road'. So, why not use, say a 25 ft wide by 500 ft (about a quarter acre) strip of the park, parallel to the peripheral road but behind a line of trees (and the jogging track), to locate the local segregation and composting area? The essential vehicle entry can be from an opening some 75 ft from the 'Kamal bakery' junction, and the exit from another opening at the end of the 500 ft stretch.

An earlier proposal for something along these lines was shot down by the local residents since it apparently faced their residences. But, here, it is facing the commercial complexes, besides being hidden behind a line of trees. Also, a large part of the park, particularly the side facing the residential area, remains intact. Well, some facilities will be lost, and some bit of nuisance will have to be faced. But, most of the BBMP activities will be confined to the noon time, when the park is not much in use anyway, and even the adverse effects whatever can be minimised by an active set of residents monitoring the operations closely.

I expect many people will be out to wring my neck for making such a suggestion. But, can we continue to think that if we ignore the problem, it will just go away? Or, does anybody have better solutions? If not, shouldn't enlightened communities think out of the box and come up with such solutions, even if it means making a few sacrifices?

Whatever, I thought it is time to start a debate on the matter in a rational way.

Muralidhar Rao

PS: Here is a report in the Deccan Herald of a plant operating satisfactorily in a residential area, though, apparently, the BDA is now in the process of acquiring the land for converting to another residential layout. But, in the process, isn't BDA going to be subjecting the residents in the new layout to the same problems other layout are already facing?