THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The move of the city corporation to establish waste treatment plants to ride over the mounting organic waste crisis ahead of the local body elections in the state capital has faced major setbacks owing to local protests and political interventions. Protests have broken out in Thonnakkal and Kudappanakunnu, two sites identified by the corporation to set up solid waste management facilities, including a Black Soldier Fly composting unit and a Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant — two key projects aimed at solving the waste crisis in the capital city. With just a few months remaining for the local body elections, the state government has set strict targets for resolving the waste crisis in the capital.
LSG Minister M B Rajesh personally intervened to fast-track action over persistent complaints about the inefficiencies in the city’s organic waste management system. However, the proposed projects have hit a roadblock due to strong opposition from the local residents.
Mangalapuram grama panchayat is gearing up to pass a resolution against the setting up of a CBG plant on 15 acres of land owned by the English Clay Company at Thonnakkal. Mangalapuram ward member Ajayaraj B C said that people have been bearing the brunt of severe pollution caused by the English Clay Company.
“The LSG minister had convened a meeting last week and we expressed strong protest against the setting up of the plant here. The other day, the Congress and the BJP also staged protests against the move. The people are against this,” said Ajayaraj. He said the corporation should find land in their jurisdiction to treat the waste generated in the city.
The move of the civic body to set up the Black Soldier Fly composting unit on the corporation-owned land at Kudappanakunnu also hit a roadblock with local politicians and residents expressing stiff protest. Subsequently, Vattiyoorkavu MLA V K Prasanth intervened.
Kudappanakunnu ward councillor Jayachandran Nair S said the plan has been dropped following protest. “The MLA intervened and there was a public meeting to pacify the protestors,” he said. The plan was to set up the plant on 50 cents of land owned by the civic body there. “Its just a composting unit just like aerobic bins. However, the people are against this. We are under tremendous pressure to implement the project immediately and all these protests are politically motivated,” said an official of the health wing under the city corporation.
As per estimates, the capital generates around 423 tonnes of waste per day. Out of which, around 296 tonnes is biodegradable and 127 tonnes is non-biodegradable waste. At present the civic body is depending on pig farms to handle food waste generated in the city.