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.