The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will have its own scientific garbage disposal system in place by the end of next year, Commissioner Rajneesh Goel has said.

He also said the BBMP would make segregating garbage in households (and other collection points like offices, schools, etc) mandatory starting next week. The Palike would work out a strategy to clear the garbage from the three existing landfills namely Mandur, Terra Firma and Mavallipura, he added.

Verdict of 2010 related to applications for leases

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on maintainability of a host of petitions filed by the Union and Karnataka governments, as well as mining companies seeking review of a 2010 apex court verdict. The verdict had directed the Karnataka government to consider afresh within four months the applications of companies vying for lease of iron ore mines in the Kumaraswamy range.

Nearly 12 mines have to get various statutory approvals, including reclamation plan

The Supreme Court has given a nod to 18 iron ore mines to resume operations in Karnataka, but only one of them fulfills the conditions required to start the operations. As many as 12 mines have to get various statutory approvals, including rehabilitation and reclamation plan, forest and environment clearances and permission from the Departments of Mines at the State and the Centre. The process could take at least a month and in some cases one year, depending on the licences required to resume mining.

Residents of newly added BBMP areas asked to pay it along with BCC

Residents of areas newly added to BBMP limits are protesting against the BWSSB for collecting penalty along with the beneficiary capital contribution (BCC) from new consumers who had not paid their BCC charges. Special camps have been set up mainly in the newly added areas for the purpose and the Board has clearly mentioned in its application forms about BCC plus penalty.

The State government on Monday announced a Rs 232-crore compensation package for small and marginal farmers who suffered crop losses due to drought.

A decision to this effect was taken at a Cabinet sub-committee meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa. On Saturday, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, after his tour of the drought-hit districts, had said that the government should be doing “more” to help the farmers in distress.

The State government would extend the solar street light project to all parts of the State in the coming days, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said here on Monday.

Mahesh, an exhibitor from Hubli, displays a solar lamp, at ‘Solarcon India 2012’ in the City on Monday. Speaking at the inauguration of Solarcon India 2012, a solar energy event, being held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), the chief minister said a large number of solar street lights and signals have already been installed within Bangalore and a few other cities.

Waste disposal system went haywire after the formation of the BBMP

Hardly 10 years ago, farmers bringing vegetables to the K R Market in the City would never return to their villages with an empty cart. newly added problem: Local bodies merged with the erstwhile corporation had their own garbage disposal system. dh photoThey would take with them 'green waste' in abundance on a daily basis. The rotten vegetables could not be sold to the customers, but farmers knew their importance as it helps increase the fertility of the land and the crop yield.

The State government will impose a complete ban on the manufacture and use of plastic carry bags in a fortnight if Environment Minister Sodagu Shivanna has his way.

Shivanna told reporters on Monday that he was confident of convincing Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar about the need to impose the ban. “Plastic is taking a major toll on the environment and it is high time plastic carry bags are banned completely,” he stated.

Don’t rubbish it

In its struggle to clear the mess that Bangalore has become in the wake of the ongoing garbage crisis, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) seems to have become totally oblivious of other ways of getting rid of the rubbish. Not just that, the cash-strapped Palike appears to have forgotten that it can make a dime or two from the uncleared garbage.

Diseases, inadequate rains and fall in prices add to farmers’ woes Once a hub of horticulture, Bagalkot district has suffered a set back due to drought this year.

Farmers are facing losses to the tune of crores of rupees, due to the conditions hostile to the cultivation of horticultural produce. The Horticulture department presents a gloomy picture, putting the estimated loss at Rs 33 crore. There is a drastic reduction in the quality and quantity of pomegranate, turmeric, chikoo, guava, grapes and banana, the prime crops cultivated in the district.