Bengaluru waste transfer operations on Krishna Rajendra Road in V.V. Puram are forcing pedestrians away from the footpaths because of persistent stench and leachate, even after Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd. warned a private contractor and filed an oral police complaint, according to officials and commuters quoted by The Hindu.
The waste is being transferred on the carriageway and near the footpath at multiple points around National College metro station. The stretch is used daily by metro passengers, bus commuters, college students and pedestrians travelling between Gandhi Bazaar, Vani Vilas Road and South End Road.
BSWML officials said the transfer activity is being carried out by a private commercial contractor collecting waste from bulk generators. A BSWML official responsible for waste collection in Chickpet limits told The Hindu that the compactors and vehicles stationed along the road belong to the contractor, rather than being operated directly by the civic waste-management company.
The official said BSWML had warned the contractor and later filed an oral police complaint. An inspection followed, after which the contractor stopped operating at the location for a period. The waste transfer has since resumed, the official said. BSWML plans to hold a meeting to address the issue.
The problem has reportedly spread to more than one point along the road. Rajappa, an autorickshaw driver, said compactors were stationed at different locations on different days, creating an unbearable stench along the stretch. He said the activity had shifted from the Indira Canteen side towards Vani Vilas Road and had later expanded to another location near the Bescom office.
Commuters said the conditions were affecting access to the metro station and surrounding institutions. Rahul Gowda, a student at a nearby college, told The Hindu that he and others had stopped using one side of the road because of the smell. He said leaked liquid had stagnated on the footpath and that rain made the stretch difficult to walk on.
The road’s role as a pedestrian connector has made the obstruction particularly visible. National College metro station and several bus stops bring regular foot traffic to the area, while students and residents use the footpaths to reach nearby neighbourhoods and public facilities.
The waste transfer activity comes as the Greater Bengaluru Authority conducts a footpath-clearance drive focused on pedestrian safety. The reported use of the same pedestrian corridor for waste handling highlights the operational conflict between efforts to restore footpath access and the absence of an immediately available transfer location nearby.
BSWML officials said the matter would be taken up in a meeting and that the issue would be addressed. The report did not specify a new transfer location or a timeline for removing the compactors from KR Road.
