TIRUCHY: After the corporation cleared tonnes of waste dumped at the 47-acre dump yard in Ariyamangalam at a cost of Rs 74.4 crore, residents were hopeful that the site would get an image makeover once bio-mining entered the third phase.
But the civic body's recent plans to set up a compressed natural gas (Bio-CNG) plant along with a debris recycling unit in the reclaimed site has raised concerns that it would turn Ariyamangalam into a dump yard once again.
Residents urge the corporation to provide clarity and address their concerns. "Tonnes of biodegradable waste from various micro-compost centres would be sent to the upcoming CNG plant. The area would then again turn into a dump yard. There are also concerns that the debris recycling plant would add to the air pollution," said Ganesh M of Ariyamangalam. M Kumaran, another resident, said,
"Before establishing any plant, the corporation should conduct a meeting in Ariyamangalam along with officials and other experts to address residents' concerns over the plants. Doing so would ensure residents' support for corporation projects."
Meanwhile, dismissing the fears, senior corporation officials confirmed that the upcoming projects would not make Ariyamangalam a dumping spot, and that the corporation would only need roughly three or four acres to establish both the plants.
"We established our first micro-compost centre (MCC) in 2016. Now we have about 40 MCCs and a good system to process the waste. We will also be using only a small portion of the land for the Bio-CNG and debris processing plant. It will only improve solid waste management in the city and cause no inconvenience to residents of Ariyamangalam," a senior official said.