COIMBATORE: Social activists have appealed to the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to adopt a decentralised waste management system and strengthen source-level waste segregation, as part of efforts to reduce the mounting burden on Vellalore dumpyard.
Separate petitions were recently submitted to the CCMC commissioner and mayor by members of civil organisations, calling for urgent reforms in the city's solid waste management practices.
KS Mohan, secretary of the Kurichi-Vellalore Pollution Prevention Action Committee, urged the civic body to stop transporting fresh waste to the Vellalore dumpyard and instead establish decentralised waste processing facilities across the corporation's five zones.
In his petition, Mohan highlighted that nearly 1,200 tonnes of municipal solid waste generated daily in Coimbatore continue to be dumped at Vellalore. He alleged that years of unscientific waste accumulation have resulted in foul odour spreading across several kilometres and contamination of groundwater in nearby residential areas such as Mahalingapuram, Konavaikkalpalayam and Sri Ram Nagar.
He also referred to the 2018 judgment of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which directed authorities to reclaim the Vellalore dumpyard and restore the site for public use. According to Mohan, repeated delays in biomining activities have prevented meaningful progress towards achieving that objective.
He further opposed the proposed waste-to-energy plant project at Vellalore, arguing that priority should instead be given to accelerating biomining operations and eliminating the large volume of legacy waste accumulated over decades.
Meanwhile, another social activist, N Aravinth, submitted a separate petition calling for the revival of the green-and-blue/red bin system that was previously introduced to encourage waste segregation at the household level.
"Awareness campaigns conducted during World Environment Day celebrations and other events in Coimbatore revealed strong public support for the reintroduction of colour-coded bins. Residents reportedly told our volunteers that segregating biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste was easier when separate bins were provided by the government, and it encouraged many to give segregated waste to the sanitary workers," Aravinth told TNIE.
In his petition, Aravinth recommended distributing green and blue bins to households for free or at subsidised rates, mandating larger segregation bins in apartment complexes and residential colonies, and ensuring that waste collection vehicles have separate compartments for different waste streams. He also called for stricter penalties against illegal dumping.
Activists argued that strengthening source segregation would improve recycling rates, reduce landfill dependency, lower long-term biomining costs and help protect public health and the environment in and around Vellalore.
CCMC Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja assured necessary action regarding solid waste management in the city
