Burning leaves: BBMP blames RWAs

Bengaluru: With trees shedding their leaves this season, you often see  piles of them burning at street corners or in play grounds , creating heat islands and adding to air pollution all across  the city. But the BBMP doesn’t seem to want to take responsibility.

At a closed door meeting on Monday,  BBMP officials refused to take the blame and  instead pointed accusing fingers at  resident welfare associations, according to  sources.  “ When the officials were questioned about the increase in dry leaves being burnt around the city, they blatantly said resident welfare associations  objected to accumulation of dry leaves in parks for composting. But when asked to name the RWAs , they could not,” sources added.

A BBMP official admits that garbage contractors don’t want to clear the dry leaves and  the pourakarmikas, who are often at a loss to deal with them,  set them on fire. “Most of the pourakarmikas are aware who is responsible for burning the leaves,”   he explains.