The Times of India       03.11.2014 

Vadsar waste site yet to be scientifically shut

VADODARA: The ugly sight of the officially discontinued municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal site at Vadsar greets one along with stench despite Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) considering plans to close it scientifically. Over two years back, the VMC had considered developing the place as a garden or a similar recreational facility but precious little has been done.

The Vadsar site was in use since 1991 and its use was discontinued after remaining operational for nearly two decades. Even after it was closed, residents in the area and environmentalists complained about unauthorized dumping and environmental hazards that it presented. Environmentalists have time and again raised the issue of how the site was leading to ground as well as air pollution as garbage was burnt at the site.

In 2012, VMC had considered a scientific closure of the site by sealing its sides and top to ensure that water did not percolate in it. It was also proposed to put a layer of earth on the site and then develop a garden or a similar recreational facility there in a public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

The scientific closure would have lead to the civic body getting a large tract of land for use in place of the dumping site that one sees today. But the project was abandoned at the preliminary stage itself and little was heard about it subsequently. A senior VMC official said that while some firms with expertise in the field did come forward, it came to light that the costs of the closure were too high. "There were some reservations regarding the PPP mode as it would have amounted to giving the land to the private partner for use," said the official. He added that the civic body was still considering closing the site using some economical means.