Bangalore’s Toxic Legacy Intensifies Status of Landfills, Waste Processing Sites and Dumping grounds, and working conditions of Pourakarmikas A special focus on continuing toxic impacts of landfills in Mavallipura A report by Environment Support Group prepared as part of its efforts to advance environmental justice of communities impacted by waste handling and disposal, prepared in support of ongoing efforts to assist Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka in W.P.No. 46523/2012 (Environment Support Group and ors. Vs. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and ors.) Environment Support Group 1572, Ring Road, Banashankari II Stage, Bangalore 560070. Tel: 91-80-26713559~61 Email: [email protected] Web: www.esgindia.org February 2018 Contributions This report is prepared by Environment Support Group Team in continuation of similar earlier efforts to document and establish the state of health and environmental impacts of solid waste management in Bengaluru. In preparing this study, the Field Visits were conducted by Mallesh K.R., Dr. Apoorva Patil, Namrata Kabra, Harsh Vardhan Bhati, B. Srinivas, Anil, Dr. Swetha Rao Dhananka and Leo F. Saldanha. The Primary Health Survey of villagers impacted by the Mavallipura landfills was undertaken by Dr. Girish Kumar and Dr. Subramanya Kumar of the Institute of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, Mavallipura, with assistance from Dr. Apoorva Patil, and under the guidance of Dr. Shirdi Prasad Tekur, Community Health Specialist. Dr. Swetha Rao Dhananka, Leo F. Saldanha contributed to the analysis of the health survey. The legal and policy analysis for this study was undertaken by Leo F. Saldanha, Dr. Swetha Rao Dhananka, Namrata Kabra and Harsh Vardhan Bhati. The overall presentation of the implications of these studies, with proposal for ways forward, is prepared by Leo F. Saldanha and Dr. Swetha Rao Dhananka. Environment Support Group acknowledges the cooperation and support extended by Mr. Sarfaraz Khan, Joint Commissioner (Health & SWM), BBMP and Dr. Sandhya, Nodal Health Officer, BBMP, particularly in facilitating access to waste processing sites. The research and field studies undertaken in the past by the ESG team also forms the basis of this effort. Contributions of Bhargavi S. Rao, Sruthi Subbanna, Davis G. Thomas and Shashikala Iyer is gratefully acknowledged, particularly their contribution in the preparation of the ESG’s 2010 report entitled “Bangalore’s Toxic Legacy: Investigating Mavallipura’s Illegal Landfills” and 2013 report submitted to the High Court of Karnataka entitled “Morbidity and Mortality due to chronic and infectious diseases in the villages impacted by landfills located in Mavallipura”. 2 Dedicated to Pourakarmikas who struggle every day to keep Bengaluru healthy for us and to those communities impacted by the dumping of our waste in their villages and commons 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 8 1.1 SUMMARY OF KARNATAKA HC DIRECTIONS IN MATTERS OF SWM PILS .................................................... 11 2 ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF LANDFILLS IN MAVALLIPURA .......................... 18 2.1 WATER AND THE LIFE IT GIVES OR TAKES ............................................................................................. 18 2.1.1 WATER ANALYSIS VILLAGES IMPACTED BY MAVALLIPURA LANDFILLS: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ...................... 18 2.1.2 CONTAMINATION PATHWAYS ............................................................................................................... 24 2.1.3 WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ...................................................... 24 2.1.4 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................... 25 2.2 HEALTH SURVEY ............................................................................................................................ 26 2.2.1 CASES OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY ................................................................................................... 27 2.2.2 HEALTH IMPLICATION OF MAVALLIPURA LANDFILLS .................................................................................. 33 3 ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS AND IMPACTS OF LANDFILLS IN AND AROUND BENGALURU ............... 35 3.1 INTRODUCTION: ............................................................................................................................ 35 3.2 OVERVIEW OF APPROVED AND UNAPPROVED LANDFILLS IN BENGALURU .................................................... 37 3.2.1 BINGIPURA ........................................................................................................................................ 38 3.2.2 CHEEMASANDRA ................................................................................................................................ 40 3.2.3 DODDABALLAPURA ............................................................................................................................. 41 3.2.4 MANDUR .......................................................................................................................................... 44 3.2.5 ANJANAPURA .................................................................................................................................... 47 3.2.6 HANCHIPURA AND THUTADAGUDADAHALLI ............................................................................................. 48 3.2.7 BBMP’S ‘SCIENTIFIC LANDFILLS’ FOR INERT, CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE AT QUARRY PITS ............ 48 4 WASTE PROCESSING SITES IN BENGALURU ................................................................................... 55 4.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 55 4.2 IMPACT ON HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ............................................................................. 58 4.3 WAY FORWARD ............................................................................................................................ 59 4.4 OVERVIEW OF WASTE PROCESSING SITES IN BENGALURU ....................................................................... 61 4.5 FACTSHEETS ABOUT THE SEVEN FACILITIES ........................................................................................... 62 4.5.1 NAME OF THE PLANT: DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE TREATMENT AND SCIENTIFIC LANDFILL FACILITY AT SURVEY NO. 85, KANNAHALLI VILLAGE, YESHWANTHPUR, BANGALORE, KARNATAKA. .................. 62 4.5.2 NAME OF THE PLANT: DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE TREATMENT AND SCIENTIFIC LANDFILL FACILITY, SEEGEHALLI VILLAGE, YESHWANTHPUR BANGALORE, KARNATAKA. ............................................... 64 4.5.3 NAME OF THE PLANT: COMMON MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY, LINGADHEERANAHALLI, BENGALURU, KARNATAKA. ............................................................................................................................... 66 4.5.4 NAME OF THE PLANT: KARNATAKA COMPOST DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, NEAR KUDLU MAIN ROAD, MADIWALA POST, BANGALORE, KARNATAKA ...................................................................................................... 69 4.5.5 NAME OF THE PLANT: MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE PROCESSING FACILITY, CHIKKANAGAMANGALA VILLAGE, SARJAPUR HOBLI, ANEKAL TALUK, BENGALURU, KARANTAKA ................................................................................. 71 4.5.6 NAME OF THE PLANT: COMMON MUNICIPALITY SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY, SUBBARAYANAPALYA, BENGALURU, KARANTAKA ................................................................................................................................ 73 4.5.7 NAME OF THE PLANT: COMMON MUNICIPALITY SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY, DODDABIDARAKALLU, YESHWANTHAPURAM HOBLI, RR NAGAR ZONE, BENGALURU, KARANTAKA ............................................................... 75 4 5 ABOUT BEING A POURAKARMIKA ................................................................................................ 77 5.1 THE CHALLENGES OF URBANISATION AND THE WORKING CONDITION OF POURAKARMIKAS ............................. 78 5.1.1 INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS TO DECENT WORK AND ITS STATUS IN INDIA ..................................................... 80 5.1.2 NO CHANGE IN WORKING CONDITIONS OF POURAKARMIKAS IN 40 YEARS ..................................................... 81 5.1.3 EXPLORATIVE SURVEY ON POURAKARMIKAS’ PREVAILING WORKING CONDITIONS ........................................... 89 5.2 WAY FORWARD: WHY IS THERE NO ADHERENCE TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS OF DECENT WORK AND NO IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONDITION OF POURAKARMIKAS SINCE THE 1976 SALAPPA REPORT? .................................. 93 6 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................ 95 6.1 THE NEVER-ENDING TOXIC LEGACY OF MAVALLIPURA: IMPOVERISHMENT OF COMMUNITIES .......................... 96 6.2 MAVALLIPURISATION: THE MULTIPLICATION OF ILL-EFFECTS THROUGH INSTITUTIONALIZED IRRESPONSIBILITY .... 98 6.3 PATHWAYS TO SECURE BANGALORE’S FUTURE .................................................................................... 101 TABLE OF FIGURES FIGURE 1 GOOGLE OVERVIEW OF APPROVED AND UNAPPROVED LANDFILL SITES IN BENGALURU ......................... 37 FIGURE 2 CLOSE PROXIMITY BETWEEN