Thanjavur Corporation’s proposal to set up multi-purpose centres under the Smart City project seem to have run into rough weather due to strong resistance from a section of people.
Under the ₹10.50-crore proposal, bio-manure generation facilities are to be set up at multi-purpose centres coming up at 14 places in the town. Besides generating bio-manure, the non-biodegradable waste collected daily will be segregated at the centres as recyclable and non-recyclable.
While the recyclable waste will be disposed off through local scrap/waste dealers, a memorandum of understanding has already been signed between the civic body and a cement manufacturing company at a neighbouring district for safe disposal of the non-recyclable.
An office for Sanitary Inspector, rooms for sanitary workers and a birth and death registration counter will also be set up at the centres, official sources said.
The main objective of the project is to reduce accumulation of garbage at the compost yard in Chekkadi, where 105 to 115 metric tonnes of garbage collected daily in the town is being dumped.
However, the proposal, conceived during a period when an elected representative body is not in place and implemented without publicising it to create public awareness, has resulted in widespread resentment among a section of residents and those in public life.
While the first opposing voice came from the residents of a posh locality — Arulananda Babar —, the issue was also raked up in the recent Parliamentary and Assembly by-election campaign by Opposition parties, which promised to stalll the ‘anti-people’ Smart City project itself if they are elected.
Subsequently, a section of local residents around Marikulam burrial ground area prevented civic officials from demolishing a portion of the burial ground compound wall to make way for vehicles to reach a multi-purpose centre to be set up there.
Similarly, traders and some locals at Karanthai vehemently opposed the move to set up a centre adjacent to Karanthai market. Last week, a group of residents of Rajiv Nagar near Tholkappier Square came to the streets opposing the move to set up a centre in their area.
