Bengaluru garbage plant blaze: Rs 9.5 crore in losses

BENGALURU: A massive fire broke out on Tuesday at the Kannahalli waste processing plant on Magadi Road, leading to a loss of around Rs 9.5 crore, including machinery, 4,000 tonnes of refused derived fuel (RDF) and the roof of the waste processing plant.

Five fire tenders were pressed into service, while four earthmovers were also deployed to make space for the fire engines. Around 40 fire and safety personnel fought fire for hours and brought it under control only on Tuesday night. The temperature was so high that the one of the tyres of an earthmover got damaged.

BBMP Joint Commissioner (Health) Sarfaraz Khan said that the fire started after a small amount of methane gas leaked from the RDF. The fire started around 3.30 am, but it was noticed only around 5.30 am by a security guard. He saw smoke from the shed and alerted the higher-ups. Surveillance cameras confirmed smoke coming out of RDF around 3.30 am, Mr Khan said.

Following the accident, the contract awarded to IL&FS for maintaining the waste processing plant was terminated immediately. “The negligence on the part of IL&FS in keeping large quantities of combustible RDF led to the accident. Last week, around 4,000 tonnes of RDF was disposed of. Otherwise, the fire could have been even worse,” Mr Khan said.

The plant has suffered Rs 9.5 crore loss, as shredding and bailing machines and roof of the shed have been damaged. The machines, however, are covered under insurance and the remaining loss will be recovered from IL&FS, he said.

The BBMP will take over the maintenance of the plant, and already, environment engineers have been identified to run it. The plant will be up and running shortly, he said.  

A thick blanket of smoke covered the entire area reducing the visibility to almost zero. Area residents were concerned that the stench and smoke from the fire could affect their health.

Villagers plan to block trucks to plant
Bengaluru: Residents of over 50 villages around the Kannahalli waste processing plant are getting ready for a massive protest. They said that they agreed for the plant as they were promised biogas from the plant at 50 per cent subsidy.

Channappa, president of the Kannahalli-Seegehalli Kasa Vilevari Horata Samiti, said, “Who wishes to have a dumpyard in their vicinity? We agreed for the plant because of biogas, but till now we haven't got any gas. Officials have failed to keep up their promise even after repeated reminders."
He said, “We are waiting for the Cauvery issue to settle down, and then we will block the trucks to the waste processing plant until our demands are met.”

Mr Nagendra B.R., a resident of Baikondanahalli, said, “You can smell the stench from the plant up to 3 km. The authorities have not taken any steps to control the stench. The yard has also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Children and the elderly are falling sick often."

Garbage collection in South Bengaluru to be hit
With fire charring the shed and some garbage processing machinery at the Kannahalli plant, garbage disposal may be affected in most areas of South Bengaluru. After the BBMP shut down the landfill in S. Bingipura, which received garbage mostly from South Bengaluru, the plant at Kannahalli was opened to process waste from this part of the city. Over 30 compactors carried garbage to Kannahalli every day and the plant has a processing capacity of 200 tonnes.

Now with the fire, the plant will be shutdown at least for four days, said BBMP Joint Commissioner (health and solid waste management) Sarfaraz Khan. With major festivals Ayudha Pooja and Muharram being celebrated next week, the city will generate double the quantum of garbage. It will be a challenge next week, but there will be no crisis as the BBMP is ready with a plan, he said.

“During Ugadi and Gowri-Ganesha, we had an action plan weeks ahead and there was no crisis. Similarly, for Ayudha Pooja too we had a plan. But with the plant catching fire, we may have to review it. But we will ensure there will be no crisis,” he said.

The BBMP plans to divert garbage to KCDC and Mavallipura plants, while wet waste will be diverted to quarries in Bagalur, Yelahanka and surrounding areas.  

The BBMP might say it has a plan, but in the past, whenever a plant has been shut, heaps of garbage have remained on the streets.

‘CCTV footage reviewed’
Mr Khan maintained that the fire couldn’t be the work of anti-social elements. “We reviewed the CCTV footage and scrutinised parts of it to make sure that the fire was not started by someone. The footage shows no foul act,” he said.

Villagers of Kannahalli and surrounding areas wanted the plant shut. They had alleged that because of its poor maintenance, the entire surrounding stank and caused health problems.