The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has launched urgent measures to address mounting trash accumulation across Bengaluru following the closure of waste disposal operations at the Mandur landfill. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar confirmed that no waste has been transported to Mandur in the past three days, prompting BBMP to swiftly seek alternative landfill sites.
Discussions are currently underway with the NICE company to potentially utilize a vacant site adjacent to NICE Road for trash disposal, as part of efforts to mitigate the city’s growing waste management crisis.
The situation at Mandur is increasingly critical, with an estimated three-year timeline required to fully process the accumulated waste, leaving nearby residents enduring environmental impacts for an extended period.
BBMP’s proactive stance includes actively managing the substantial waste heap through bio-mining facilities. Bio-mining, a sustainable method, aims to stabilize old landfill waste by extracting valuable resources and promoting circularity through reuse, recycle, and recovery. Currently, approximately 40% of the waste has been processed, with plans to commence the second phase of operations soon.
A senior BBMP official provided insights into ongoing efforts, stating, About 4 lakh metric tonnes of waste have already been processed at Mandur. However, an additional nine months are anticipated to complete this phase. There remains approximately 6 lakh tonnes of waste yet to be processed. The tendering process for the second phase is underway, with three bids received and finalization expected shortly.
BBMP is collaborating closely with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to deploy bio-remediation methods not only at Mandur but also at other landfill sites like Lakshmipura and Bingipura.
