Owner of Bengaluru’s waste collection centre that caught fire alleges sabotage

The centre, supported by Hasiru Dala, an NGO, is run by Kumuda along with a self help group of over a dozen women collecting waste from door-to-door, sorting and grading the waste, reclaiming recyclables and sending them for recycling. The centre also functions as a learning space for students, academics, policy makers and citizens to see how decentralised waste management can be a boon to cleanliness and environmental sustainability of an area.

Citizens of J P Nagar supported Kumuda, who had set up the DWCC in the ward after moving away from the small space she originally operated from. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had allotted land for the centre. Under Kumuda’s leadership, the centre collected 80 metric tonne of dry waste every month.

Co-founder of Hasiru Dala, Nalini Shekar said, “We have requested the BBMP to rebuild the centre. We have also demanded proper investigation into the incident. There were no CCTV cameras at the centre. The BBMP officials came that night and so did the civic body’s marshals. We are also trying to find out why this happened.”

Shekar added that with the loss of the centre, the people who were attached with it lost their livelihood.

The NGO, in a statement said, “Kumuda, a leader in the waste picking community, is instrumental in providing jobs, setting best practices in waste collection services and piloting new initiatives for previously non-recyclable waste. She did not stop working even during the pandemic. She would send out videos to inform residents about how to dispose of Covid waste and ensure a clean neighbourhood. One of her viral videos was even picked up and amplified by the then Health Minister (Dr K Sudhakar).”