Outrage boiled over on Bengaluru’s periphery Wednesday when over 300 waste trucks were turned away by determined protesters near Doddaballapur. The face-off at Doda Mankala exposed cracks in the city’s strained garbage handling amid vocal community pushback.
GBA’s decision to shift routes from protest-hit Mahadevapura backfired spectacularly. A heartbreaking child fatality from a related accident amplified calls to halt the intrusion.
BJP MLA Dhiraj Muniraju rallied supporters, condemning the move outright. Speaking to press, he vowed, ‘We’re swamped already—no more unpermitted dumping. Back they go.’ Authorities from the regional transport office responded with penalties for errant drivers.
Similar discontent brews at Mittaganahalli and Bellahalli, with claims of substandard waste treatment and panchayat funding gaps. The directive from Solid Waste CEO Kari Gowda to surge extra trucks here has drawn sharp ire.
This impasse reflects Bengaluru’s broader environmental tightrope, where population growth clashes with limited disposal options. Stakeholders are now in discussions, seeking long-term fixes like tech-driven waste reduction to safeguard health and habitats.