KCDC plant to get bio-filter by March 15

New tech will reduce odour from the plant: BBMP official

BBMP Special Commissioner for Solid Waste Management Subodh Yadav on Tuesday said that the work on installation of bio-filter system at Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC) plant near Somasundarapalya Lake at HSR Layout would be completed by March 15. He said this during a meeting with the residents of HSR Layout and the areas in the vicinity of the KCDC plant.

The special commissioner said that the project was delayed because of a few technical glitches. “The total cost of the first-of-its-kind project is Rs four crore and the tenders for the same have already been floated. We have also consulted waste management experts with regard to this project. The bio-filter system, once becomes operational, will reduce the odour emanating from the plant,” Yadav said.

Anis Padela, a resident of HSR Layout, said, “The High Court of Karnataka directed the civic agency to control the odour using bio-filter technology, in September 2014. The Palike, however, kept delaying the installation of the bio-filter system. This is happening because of the lack of coordination between the implementing agency, the KCDC, and the Palike. We are hoping that this time the deadline is met with by BBMP.”

Apart from the long-pending bio-filter system, the residents also raised the issue of mixed waste being dumped at the plant.

To this, Yadav said that despite the fact that waste segregation rules are in place, a few residents continue to dump the mixed waste which in turn is leading to various problems.

Inert waste
The special commissioner told Deccan Herald, “Heaps of rejected waste are on the premises of the KCDC plant. The Palike with some technical help from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) will address this issue of inert waste. All precautions are being taken to ensure only segregated waste enters the waste processing units.”

The residents said that the amount of waste entering the KCDC plant has been reduced to 60 tonnes of wet waste from 300 tonnes everyday but this has not provided any reprieve from the odour, they rued.