Vrishabhavati river is free for all to dump - The case of Night Toxic Tanker Dumps

Vrishabhavati river is free for all to dump. Not only does she take the toxic wastes of the massive industries on her banks, she also receives toxic wastes coming from industrial areas all over Bengaluru and its peri-urban areas. Illegal dumping of untreated and hazardous industrial waste into Vrishabhavati river and its tributary channels, mostly at night, camouflaged as water tankers, is a pervasive malpractice going on for decades. As a result, Vrishabhavathi flows as Vishabhavathi (i.e Visha means poison in kannada) with unimaginable industrial toxicity.

In order to understand the magnitude of this issue, we compiled known incidences of tanker dumps in the Vrishabhavati river basin.

Dirty Dumpers: The long ordeal of the residents of Krishna Gardens

Location of polluting activity:

Channasandra stream-turned open wastewater drain, is a tributary stream of Vrishabhavati river, that flows alongside Sri Krishna Gardens in RajaRajeshwarinagar  as can be seen in the map. 

The story so far:

The residents of Krishna Gardens apartment complex and other homes have been waking up to the pungent chemical smell, causing headaches, nausea, tiredness, breathing difficulties and other maladies. This pervasive pungent chemical smell is the result of toxic industrial effluents dumped into the stream-turned drain supposedly by tankers, in the wee hours. “The smell is so bad we find it difficult to breathe the air, sometimes”, say the residents in a letter to the local MLA.

Good Earth residents catch Bharat Petroleum tanker illegally dumping effluents into Vrishabhavati river

Illegal dumping of hazardous effluents into Vrishabhavati river and its tributary channels at night is a pervasive malpractice going on for decades. Each dump is a toxic hazard that kills everything in its wake. Grave and unpredictable damage has been unleashed to the Vrishabhavati riverine ecosystem on a daily basis. As the chemical air resulting from the dump wafts into the homes on Vrishabhavati river bank, people suffer from headaches, nausea, tiredness, burning sensation and asthma. Citizens setup night vigils to catch the perps in action. The most recent one took place the night of 03rd Apr near the gate of Provident Sunworth marketing office. 

The Hindu: Garbage Burning near Vrishabhavati river

Open burning solid waste is a widespread standard practice in India. Vrishabhavathi river basin in Bengaluru is no exception. On 24 Mar 2021, The Hindu, reported huge fires on the banks of Vrishabhavathi river in Kengeri, Bengaluru.