In response to the concerns over waste management at the Vellalore landfill, Coimbatore Corporation has submitted a status report and action plan to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). This follows NGT’s suo motu action based on a report by The Hindu about a fire at Vellalore on April 7, 2024.
The Corporation has pledged to halt the open dumping of fresh waste within six months. According to the report, the city generates 1,100 tonnes of waste per day (TPD), of which only 110 TPD is dumped at Vellalore. The remaining waste is processed through various facilities.
Though the civic body promised 65 decentralised waste processing centres, only 50 have been set up, including the 34 micro composting centres (MCCs), 8 material recovery facilities (MRFs), 6 bio-gas plants, and 1 e-waste centre. However, 21 centres are non-functional due to maintenance issues, with the latest report showing only 29 centres operational.
The report also says that out of the 654 acres at Vellalore, 492 acres are available for waste disposal, with 279.7 acres utilised for waste management. Fresh waste is dumped in just 5-8 acres.
The facilities include a 15.32-acre STP, a 35-acre bio mining processing plant, and a 15-acre vermicompost processing plant. Additionally, 0.85 acres are used for an MRF and chicken waste processing plant. Phase I of bio mining has reclaimed 50 acres, while Phase II, covering 60 acres, is yet to start. A lagoon occupies 15 acres, and fresh waste is dumped on 8 acres, leaving 212.3 acres of free land.
To stop the dumping of fresh waste, the civic body has introduced the “Eco Smart Decomposing Kit” to promote home composting. Six MCCs will be restored, three new transfer stations will be built within 15 months, and a bio-CNG plant is planned within 24 months. A proposal for waste-to-energy plants is also under way.
K.S. Mohan, secretary of the Kurichi-Vellalore Pollution Prevention Action Committee, criticised the Corporation, stating that despite 20 years of promises, waste dumping continued, and the action plan seemed impossible to implement within the promised six months.
The report was submitted in line with the directive from the second hearing held on August 14, 2024. The third hearing, which was originally planned for September 3, has been rescheduled to October 16, 2024, owing to pending cases.
Published - September 05, 2024 07:05 pm IST
