Solution to garbage problem within a week: Karnataka CM

BANGALORE: Under attack from various quarters on the issue of piling garbage in the city, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar today promised a solution within a week to the waste disposal problem.

"Garbage disposal is a challenge to the government and also officials. By this week end, we should find a solution to it", Shettar told a conference of Deputy Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Panchayats here.

Mounds of uncleared garbage have led to widespread public outrage, raised health related concerns and drawn the attention of the national and international media.

"We have to retain the brand name of Bangalore as IT capital and clean city," Shettar said, three days after the High Court warned the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (corporation) it would supersede it, if corporators interfered in waste disposal.

He said the government was thinking of deploying advanced technology to manage garbage disposal and several companies have come forward to produce power from the waste.

Without naming anyone, he said lack of foresight of those who ruled earlier has led to the garbage problem and added "I will not blame anyone for this. Since two months we are devoting lot of attention. We are at the stage of finding a solution".

The BBMP and government are facing hurdles in locating dumping yards as locals who are living on the outskirts are against dumping of garbage around their villages without proper treatment.

IT czar Azim Premji had recently exhorted Bangaloreans to spearhead a citizens' movement and stage protests against non-clearance of garbage rotting on the streets.