Doddabanahalli residents stop tractor dumping garbage at Yele Mallappashetty Lake

On Tuesday morning, alert residents in Doddabanahalli caught and confronted a tractor driver attempting to dump garbage into the buffer zone of Yele Mallappashetty Lake in Bengaluru. The residents recorded the incident and shared the video with the police and local lake protection groups to raise awareness about the ongoing threat to the local ecosystem.

Local resident Neethu Kumaiah spotted the tractor while on her morning walk. She noticed the vehicle, which was filled with waste packed in large plastic covers, moving suspiciously around the lake's buffer zone. Realising the driver was looking for a place to unload the garbage, Kumaiah confronted him about why he was driving around the protected area with a waste-filled vehicle.

The 500-acre Yele Mallappashetty Lake and its surrounding wetland serve as a crucial habitat for various wildlife, including reptiles and bird species such as peacocks and peahens. Residents noted that the frequent dumping and subsequent burning of garbage on the lake premises produce thick smoke, putting the local bird population at risk. Kumaiah stated that miscreants often target the area at odd hours to dump waste, and called on authorities to apprehend and penalise those responsible.

Following the incident, Sudha Swapna Pais, the Joint Commissioner for the KR Puram Division of the Bengaluru East City Corporation, promised that the civic body would take strong action against individuals dumping waste in protected areas. Pais noted that the Chief Minister has directed authorities to impose high penalties on anyone caught dumping garbage and debris on medians, buffers, and lakes. She added that the civic body will seize vehicles involved in such activities.

The corporation has also appealed to local Resident Welfare Associations and activists to remain vigilant. Officials urged citizens to alert the police and corporation staff whenever they spot trucks or tractors moving suspiciously around the lake and its buffer zone.