After Deaths, Villagers Block Trucks From Dumping Bangalore's Trash

Mavallipura is tired of Bangalore's trash. The small village about 20 miles outside the Indian megacity of 8.4 million has been the unofficial dumping grounds for Bangalore's garbage for the past nine years. But thanks of growing concerns in the village about contamination and a string of recent deaths, villagers have created a blockade to prevent any more of the city's garbage from entering the dump.

Community members in the Mavallipura area say that the 100-acre dump hasn't been properly established, which has led to leaching of hazardous materials and the contamination of water sources that feed about 15 nearby villages. At least two people have died in recent weeks, and many more report infections related to the contamination of soil and water sources and the breeding of mosquitoes in the dump. This report from 2010 details the death of a local boy from dengue.