With the help of non-governmental organisations, the Coonoor municipality and the district administration have officially closed the dump yard that had been an eyesore and a major cause of pollution in Ottupattarai in Coonoor. Instead, the area has now been turned into a waste management facility and park, capable of processing almost the entirety of the town’s generated dry waste.
Waste segregation
On Wednesday, District Collector J. Innocent Divya inaugurated the park.
Ms. Divya applauded the efforts of the local community, spearheaded by local NGO, Clean Coonoor, and Rajshree Pinnamaneni from the Hyderabad-based Gandhipet Welfare Society, and called for better segregation of waste, and for the substantial reduction of waste generation across the Nilgiris.
Samantha Iyanna, managing trustee of Clean Coonoor, told The Hindu that the waste management facility in Coonoor has been transformed from being a dump yard to a facility where dry waste can be successfully managed. Ms. Iyanna said that following the NGO’s efforts to clean up the Coonoor River, soil and sediment removed from the stream-bed were used to landscape the dump yard, and a garden was set up to remove the stigma of the dump yard.
P. J. Vasanthan, trustee of Clean Coonoor, said that equipment such as a plastic-baling machine, and a shredder to chop up chicken and fish waste have been purchased, as well as equipment to dispose of sanitary napkins, old clothes, pillows and mattresses.
“A machine to sort and grade plastic and dry waste will be brought to the facility shortly,” said Mr. Vasanthan.
Officials from the Coonoor Municipality said that while wet waste would be processed at micro-compost centres, plastic waste can be compacted and baled in the waste management park. “Around 500 kg of chicken and fish waste, mostly generated in the market, can be shredded at the facility and composted using two bins,” said an official.
There are also plans to properly dispose of hazardous, electrical waste collected from within the town with the use of other agencies and organisations.
“From the perspective of local communities living around the waste management park, and also for wildlife, the transformation of the space in Ottupattarai to its current state is very welcome,” said Mr. Vasanthan.
