Electronic city residents protest against BBMP waste plant over pollution concerns

Thousands of residents from Electronic City staged a massive protest demanding the immediate shutdown of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Municipal Solid Waste Processing Plant at Chikkanagamangala. The protest follows alarming inspection reports by Joint Committees under the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2019 and 2022, which highlighted severe operational lapses and a strong foul odor spreading up to a 4 km radius.

Pranay Dubey, president of Electronics City Rising, a resident welfare association, alleged that toxic leachate from the plant is contaminating local water bodies, creating an environmental hazard. “We have seen mass fish deaths in Chikkanagamangala Lake due to water contamination. Despite NGT penalties and High Court orders, BBMP has failed to control leachate leakage, odor, and pollution,” Dubey said. Rajesh Reddy, former member of the Town Municipal Corporation of Konappana Agrahara, expressed concerns over its impact on livestock and residents. “Cattle have likely consumed toxic water from nearby ponds.

The air is heavily polluted, groundwater is unsafe, and mosquito infestations have increased. This is the result of BBMP’s mismanagement of the waste processing plant,” he added. Responding to the protest, BBMP Zonal Joint Commissioner Madhu visited the site and assured residents that she would escalate the issue to the Chief Commissioner and other senior officials within a week. However, residents remain skeptical and have warned of intensified protests if immediate action is not