The Hindu 02.05.2013
Salem Corporation resumes garbage dumping at compost yard
In spite of stiff opposition from local residents, City
Municipal Corporation has once again resorted to dumping of garbage in
Erumapalayam compost yard and in parts of Suramangalam due to erratic
power supply at the Solid Waste Treatment Plant at Chettichavadi, on the
outskirts of the city.
Though the plant, operated by
a private company, has a capacity to process 300 MT solid waste
everyday, they receive only 100 tonnes of garbage from the civic body as
the plant could be operated for only about five to seven hours a day
due to erratic power supply.
The rest of about 200 tonne garbage was dumped in the compost yard and set on fire, causing air pollution.
Residents
in Kitchipalayam and nearby areas complain that thick black smoke
emanating from the yard is causing health issues and children and
elderly people are getting affected.
“Our protest
against dumping yields no results as tractors carrying garbage keep
pouring through out the day,” said a resident in the area.
Around
three lakh metric tonnes of solid waste was dumped in the 14-acre yard
at Erumapalayam for over 50 years, resulting in the mounting garbage
rising to a height of about 20 feet.
However,
Corporation officials said that they had no other option to dispose of
the garbage collected every day from 60 wards, as the plant could not be
fully operational.
“We have suggested to the company to produce power from their products’ output,” said Commissioner M. Ashokan.
Recently,
residents in a few areas in the region also blocked the tractors
carrying garbage, to protest against the dumping. But over 50 vehicles
continue to dump the garbage at the yard.
Mayor S. Soundappan told
The Hindu
that electricity board had already been requested to provide
uninterrupted supply to the plant so that it becomes fully operational.
“The situation may continue for another two months and until then dumping in yards would continue,” he added.
