TIRUPPUR: To address the burning issues regarding solid waste management, the Tiruppur City Municipal Corporation has identified eight acres of land in Iduvai to set up a bio-CNG plant with a capacity to handle 200 metric tons of waste daily. This will be an alternative to the proposed similar project on Kangeyam Road where the public strongly opposed the civic plan.
A bio-CNG plant produces Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), also known as bio-CNG, from organic waste.
Currently, over 300 tonnes of about 600 to 700 tonnes of garbage generated daily in the city are dumped in an abandoned stone quarry in Neruperichal village. Only 110 t is sent to Micro Composting Centres (MCC) every day. Allegedly around 150 t is sent to recycling projects.
The proposed bio-CNG project planned at Iduvai on the outskirts of Tiruppur city is expected to solve to some extent issues regarding solid waste management. The Corporation is now disposing garbage in different stone quarries one after another in view of public protests against the practice.
It recently selected the Neruperichal quarry but the public protested there too and the dumping had to be carried out under police protection on Saturday.
Political parties and the public are likely to oppose the unsafe solid waste management practices.
R Saravanan, TVK's trade union district secretary, from Neruperichal, said, "Dumping garbage in stone quarries pollutes groundwater and the environment. We have not allowed the vehicles to dump garbage for the past three days. They dumped the garbage under police protection on Saturday. Fearing police action, the public did not come forward to protest."
R Sathish Kumar, a social activist, said, "Initially, the Corporation dumped garbage in the Mummoorthy Nagar quarry. Then they came to Mudalipalayam. Due to public protests there, they shifted to Kalampalayam. The public fought there too, forcing the civic body to move to Neruperichal now. There too, the public is protesting. Dumping garbage in a stone quarry is an illegal act."
BJP Women's National President Vanathi Srinivasan on Saturday demanded a permanent solution be found instead of dumping garbage in stone quarries.
Corporation Commissioner R Maheshwari (in-charge) told TNIE that the issues in solid waste management will be resolved within three months.
"To address the current issues, we have identified eight acres of land in Iduvai to set up a bio-CNG plant with a capacity to handle 200 metric tons of waste daily. Currently, work orders are being given and it will be operational soon. Once this project is implemented, we will manage the remaining 40% of the garbage through alternative projects," the Commissioner said.
Regarding the protests at Neruperichal she said: "Police were called in to hold talks with the public. We also held talks with them. We requested the public for permission to dump garbage in the quarry for a few more days. They have also agreed to it. Police were not called in to provide security during the dumping of garbage."
Further, the Commissioner said, "We are planning to make it mandatory for the public to segregate garbage in the wards."
The Corporation had already planned to set up a bio-CNG project on Kangeyam Road, however, a new location has been identified due to public opposition.