Karnataka Compost Development

Corporation LtdThe Experiment so far…

Background of the issue• Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC) was established in 1975 as one among 13 such plants in India based on World

Health Organizations technology as per the directions of Government of India to 22 States in accordance with the recommendation of Shri Sivaraman Committee.

• This is the only plant surviving unlike other twelve plants, which closed down their operations within one year due to unsuitability of technology to Indian un-segregated garbage conditions and lack of economic viability.

• KCDC receives the wet waste from different vegetable markets across the city as decomposed waste to produce lower quality compost used as Fertilizer by Farmers.

• The plant was receiving 50 TPD in the early years and it was set to receive 200 TPD after its expansion program under Bangalore Mega City Scheme. But…

• There was huge garbage dumped at the KCDC site in the year 2007 when Bangalore City witnessed Garbage crisis and that created FOUL SMELL around the area and huge protests were organized by residents with help of local Politicians.

• From September 2008 onwards the receipt of garbage was stopped at instance of local public and elected representatives in view of environmental problems and plant was processing only the already stocked garbage. This is written on their website and also was covered in the media. Visit the website http://kcdc.in/about/our-history/.

• Plan was to establish new plant Boggaguddahalli, somewhere near Devanahalli shifting the existing one. Read more at: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/10690/bbmp-proposes-shift-landfill-site.html

• There was lacs of Tones of Garbage piled up at the site in 2007 which lost its smell over few months so unit remained CALM & QUIET.

Decentralization & Judges visit to KCDC

• Under the PIL filed with High Court, judges asked SWM XC recommendations on how to handle the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and get rid of Landfill sites.

• XC submitted the report in May 2013 with its vision of Zero Waste to landfills designed to eliminate the practice of sending unlimited trash to landfills & incinerators.

• Guiding principles of the XC report were Source segregation – Collection – Transportation – Treatment – Disposal - Resource recovery (recyclables, compost, gas, etc.).

• It was mainly directed to Decentralized management and handling of waste, and moving away from centralized infrastructure. From here, the concept of Decentralization came into fore as foundation to manage entire MSW of the city.

• On the treatment side of the process, KCDC was recommended as Model to be used and Compost as Product based on its financial viability among Farmers was pushed. Almitra Patel claims to follow the KCDC unit for more than 20-25 years and has been one of the strong advocate of the plant and its processing.

• Bangalore produces nearly 4000 TPD of waste and it was recommended to have 8 more KCDC type of units across the city with each treating 500 TPD of waste every day as Decentralized model.

• In continuation of this exercise, both judges N.KUMAR AND B.V.NAGARATHNA visited KCDC plant upon insistence of SWM XC in January 2013 and understood basics of waste processing. Read more at http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report-bangalore-readying-to-transform-trash-into-cash-1953602.

Garbage Crisis & SWM XC

• From that point, huge development in the area started and lots of new apartments, schools & other amenities started to come up and area become one of the most sought after due to Somsundar Palya lake and its connectivity between Electronic City and other software technology parks (STPs).

• Due to Non-receipt of any fresh waste, KCDC turned as Loss-making corporation until another Garbage Crisis struck the city in August 2012.

• When the crisis struck, BBMP ordered waste to be segregated at SOURCE and planned to send all the vegetable waste (Wet Waste) from various markets to different cow shelters but shelters refused to buy waste because of Poor Quality.

• Before this waste being dumped to the landfill site, call was taken to divert this waste to KCDC and plant got the new lease of Life.

• In 2012 after the crisis hit the City, PIL was filed in the High Court with reference no. WP 24739/2012. Earlier, the panel was Honble Justice VIKRAMAJIT SEN (CJ) AND B.V.NAGARATHNA and later it was N.KUMAR AND B.V.NAGARATHNA from December 2012.

• At same time, Government of Karnataka, Urban Development Department, constituted an Solid Waste Management Expert Committee (SWM XC) on 14.9.2012, with the BBMP Commissioner as Chairman and seven subject expert as members• Dr H C Sharatchandra • Mrs. Almitra H Patel• Mrs. Kalpana Kar• Sri S. Venkatesh Shaker• Sri N.S. Ramakanth• Dr. D. Radhakrishna• Sri Basaviah (Ex-MD of KCDC from 2001 to 2007 was large pile of garbage was dumped at the site)

Expansion of KCDC as SWM XC distorted facts

• Now from here, SWM XC started distorting facts from judges by giving impression that “see, this plant is in middle of such dense locality and is processing fresh waste without any smell or foul odour but working at largely underutilized capacity”.

• While actually this plant was just about to die its death and was only processing already stocked garbage since 2008 and due to that no smell was encountered.

• On 4th February 2012, judges have below order related to KCDC.

• “It is made clear that Karnataka Compost Development Corporation Limited was established in that area in the year 1975. It is only over the years, the people have constructed houses near the plant. Therefore, they cannot prevent this unit from working which in effect is only processing the garbage of the residents including those persons. At any rate till this backlog of garbage is completely processed, the said residents have no right to object. At the same time authorities shall also take appropriate steps to see that the working of the unit no way affects the residents who are residing nearby.”

• Also judges asked BBMP to allocate new land to the plant to increase its capacity to set up new processing plant with necessary infrastructure. This was done at behest of recommendations from Almitra Patel as SWM XC member.

• Based on that order, BBMP started to divert all its wet waste (at times, mixed waste also) to the site in range of 140-150 TPD.

• This is when the problem of FOUL SMELL started in the neighborhood particularly from evening 6 or 7 till midnight.

• Earlier, when it was brought under the notice of KCDC, it was flatly denied shifting the blame to lake.

Working with SWM XC

• On the other hand, High Court continue to keep passing various orders related to KCDC and asked BBMP to take over the unit from its current stakeholder which was Ministry of Agriculture.

• Same time, Mandur crisis started to hit the city and huge protests were made by residents of village to stop garbage being dumped at their site and Chief Minister set deadline of December 1st to stop dumping. That gave another push to processing plants & KCDC.

• Here, from February when stink started, it got worse in the month of March and April and huge protest was organized in the layout by citizens. We reached Almitra Patel making her aware about the issue as she being expert in this area. When contacted, she claimed to be unaware of the issue of stink and denied too.

• I, personally started following with her very aggressively as stink was getting worse and she later agreed for Open House meeting along with BBMP and came a day earlier of the meeting in this area to get the feel of smell by herself. She stayed at my residence and roamed in the area at different times of evening and night meeting other citizens. She got the feel of the smell by herself.

• During the open house, residents turned up in large nos. and complained very aggressively to BBMP and SWM XC members who acknowledged the smell issue after lot of pushback and promised measures to bring it under control.

• Later, she published the report in this regard suggesting various steps and changes in the process at the way waste was being handled and asked KCDC to follow.

• Some of them were followed while some were not, but overall STINK continued in the area, triggering another huge protests under the guidance of MLA Satish Reddy mainly led by villagers living nearby.

MLA’s protest & court intervention

• That protest turned bit of violent and some of the participants manhandled KCDC staff.

• MLA Satish Reddy ordered the JCB to dig the road that connects the main road to gate-2 to stop the garbage trucks from entering the site. Due to that for many days, no fresh garbage was received at the plant and it again went back to No Smell mode. Read more at: http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/mla-backs-citizens-protesting-against-kcdc?utm_source=copy

• Later, there was a meeting between MLA, BBMP Commissioner and KCDC MD where BBMP Commissioner flatly refused the close the plant and cited that this is working under insistence of High Court and was setup before residents came to this area and they don’t have any moral authority to object now.

• When this was brought to the notice of High Court, below order was passed.

• “The local MLAs and the Corporators should ensure that the projects are set up and if any inconvenience is caused to the residents, it should be attended to. Thus entire ward would be benefited. BBMP Officials should also ensure such development activities take place forthwith and the object of setting up such centers are fulfilled.”

• From this point, we decided to be part of hearing of the case and first attended on 23rd Sept and made judge aware of the issue. While talking to various people, lawyers, SWM XC we could gauge that mood in the high court is PRO SWM right now and any stand against SMW can spell more trouble for us and may even be pushed out of hearing without even getting smell issue addressed.

• Considering that, we residents formed the strategy that we will not ask for closure of the plant and will enter as PRO SWM and register ourselves as cooperating party while making authorities work for the issue which was BBMP Special Commissioner Mr. Darpan Jain.

Hearing update – Sept to Dec

• In the first hearing on 23rd Sept’14, we made judged aware about the problem, killed the argument that plant existed from 1974 and we came late showing them pages of KCDC website and approvals from BBMP and BDA for buildings arguing that why approvals were given? That worked and judge ordered BBMP to look into the matter and control the smell.

• Order “It is submitted by the Special Commissioner that Government has passed orders for BBMP to take over KCDC Unit. Therefore BBMP shall appoint officials who are experts in the field, so that they are able to give effect to the recommendations made by the Expert Committee in the matter of processing the waste and in particular, preventing bad smell emanating from that waste. They shall also ensure that there would be no more fire accidents in that place in future.”

• Next hearing on 31st Oct’2014, we made judge aware of the fact again that things have not changed. BBMP asked for more time considering the rains in the city and judge gave them.

• Order “the Special Commissioner assures the Court that, now that the rains are receding they should be able to put into action their action-plan and ensure that all the grievances are met. ”

• Next hearing on 5th Dec’14, again we updated judge on the smell situation which was not improved. Judge took strict view of the situation and asked BBMP commissioner to put things under control in 1 month.

• In that hearing, judge came to know that CM has appointed political persons as KCDC chairman and vice chairman. He did not liked that move as felt things would get more aggravated if BBMP Commissioner and Special Commissioner were to follow political persons orders and removed as Chairman and Vice Chairman. He even warned CM that this may become like another Mandur. Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/political-appointment-to-kcdc-may-hit-waste-processing-cautions-hc/article6666199.ece

Hearing Update – Jan to Feb & Interim Solution

• In next hearing on 9th Jan 2015, we updated judge that Special Commissioner who sought 1 month time has failed. Judge immediately asked newly appointed Chairman and Vice Chairman to control the smell situation by next hearing. After that order, KCDC Chairman called for the Board meeting and announced in the media that by February they will control the smell. Read more at: http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalore/civic/Relief-in-sight-for-stink-from-garbage-unit-at-HSR-Layout/articleshow/45948574.cms. This was probably just to garner media attention and grab headlines. No concrete actions were taken in direction of smell control.

• However, that also did not happen and in next hearing on 13th Feb’15, both newly appointed KCDC chairman and vice chairman attended the proceedings. Special Commissioner updated that things have not improved and as next step, they will work with CSIR, Kerala to design odour management plan at KCDC. Judge ordered BBMP to involve residents also in the process.

• As of now, the shed work is completed at the top but uncovered from both sides and stinking badly from 6.30/7 PM till mid night or through the night. We don’t see any sign of odour management plan which Special Commissioner says will be put in place after construction is over and that will end the smell problem. Informally, he has said it will take 2/3 months of time to complete the things at KCDC.

• In between, we proposed the below solution as interim to reduce the quantity to 75 TPD as at that level of intake, smell has not occurred using the past data. Judge expressed his inability to take call on reduction of quantity so as BBMP and KCDC.

• Below slide explains the interim solution.

Below is the data graph from April 2013 to Dec 2014. Smell problem started from February 2014 when intake increased from 75 TPD.

Smell issue started from Feb 2014.

No smell issue at all. Point of co-existence.

Due to huge public protest, intake qty. came down. No smell issue for 3 months of

June, July & Aug.

Inference:• Smell is directly proportionate to intake qty. KCDC receives daily. When qty. goes beyond 75 TPD, it becomes uncontrollable for

KCDC and smell problem starts. Smell must be controlled at source.• Despite of giving so much time, KCDC & BBMP have failed to control the smell so far.Our humble ask:• Till new facilities are being set up, keep the intake qty. till level of Jan 2014 when we did not had smell issue.• Once new set up is in place with all smell control facilities, gradual increase in qty. with community engagement. This is widely

adopted best practice across the world while setting up such plant.• Let us learn from GOLDEN GOOSE story and not kill such waste processing facility.

Smell started again from Sept 2014 and from that point, no respite despite of assurances

given in High Court and all efforts put in for control.

KCDC in 2007

KCDC in 2014 – Change in surroundings…

What Next?

What BBMP is planning..

• BBMP is planning to put the SHED and cover the plant from all 4 directions. This is close to 90% completed and has not resulted into any reduction in the smell.

• Put the basic Odour management System based on CSIR recommendations using air suckers and passing it through bio filters.

• Plant coverage and odour management system, may or may not help and could be last option / measure available for BBMP and KCDC.

• Later, they will increase the quantity from current 200 TPD to 500 TPD. We believe that will break the things further and will create major havoc in the locality.