The Hindu              24.07.2013 

VMC for new dumping site at Pathapadu

G.V.R. Subba Rao

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is likely to
acquire a land of 20 to 25 acres at Pathapadu to dump garbage generated
in the city. The Corporation authorities have examined a piece of land
adjacent to an existing pit.

They also explored
another option: 55-acre site at Nunna near here. The garbage disposal
problem will be solved, at least temporarily. The VMC authorities,
however, are inclined to acquire the land at Pathapadu for various
reasons including proximity. The access to the site at Nunna is not very
easy. The Corporation has invested on creating infrastructure like
roads and the villagers would not raise any objection.

The
Corporation spent about Rs.4 crore, including Rs.1.5 crore for
infrastructure and pits for scientific disposal following stiff
opposition from Pathapadu villagers. The officials feel that a similar
demand is likely to crop up at Nunna if land were to be acquired there.

The
Corporation recently formed three teams to inspect the sites located at
Gannavaram, Agiripalli, Kanchikacherla, Ibrahimpatnam and other areas. A
30-acre land at Konda Pavuluuru village in Gannavaram mandal and a
10-acre quarry land in Thotapalli village in Agiripalli mandal are some
of the sites that were found to be suitable for dumping yard.

These
sites are 26 km away from the VMC main office. The officials said that
there were approach roads to these sites and suitable for land filling,
however, forest clearance was required for utilising them.

The
VMC had plans to develop a scientific dumping yard on a 200-acre of
land at Adivinekkalam, but the villagers opposed it. The operation and
maintenance, provisions of various Forest Acts, creation of
infrastructure, and other such problems were seen as obstacles.

The
city generates nearly 550 tonnes of MSW every day. Nearly 250 tonnes of
it is being dumped at Pathapadu and the remaining at Shri Ram Energy
Systems for power generation.