Mound of waste woes greets minister

The inspection visit of medical education and district in-charge minister S A Ramdas to the Excel plant at sewage farm in the city on Tuesday, brought to fore many startling facts that was nothing short of a cracker for the dignitary.

Dumping of animal carcasses and other wastes from slaughter houses, contrasting numbers of aromatic plants planted at the farm to check stench emanating from the farm and most importantly the contractor entrusted with the task of disposing waste staying away from the job for non-payment of arrears for the past six months and also non-spraying of bio-enzyme to check the spread of tepid smell from rotten garbage.

The waste treatment plant at the farm owned by Mysore City Corporation (MCC) abutting J P Nagar, Vidyaranyapuram and also Visvesvaraya Industrial Suburb has been the bone of contention for long for the repeated failure of the local body to check the stench.

The animal carcases and other refuse lifted from the slaughter houses in the containers and were blatantly being dumped at the plant. The minister ordered the regional office of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to vet into the source of animal waste and related matters. What charged the already charged atmosphere was the enraged residents of the surrounding areas who  landed at the plant.

Dr Chandrashekar from J P Nagar who was in the lead of the residents told the minister the officers have been claiming planting of 6,900 aromatic saplings in contrast to 200 in reality. The doctor said he had sought information under Right to Information Act (RTIA) in this regard.

On the contractor who has stopped disposal of waste, the minister directed the commissioner of MCC M R Ravi who was accompanying him to cancel the contract and go for a fresh and e-procurement tender.

What baffled the minister was the alleged stopping of spraying of bio-enzyme for the want of money. A litre of spray costs Rs 200 and the men in-charge at the plant had stopped the same. The minister promised sufficient funds and ordered resuming of the same.

He also directed the officers accompanying him to take measures for the segregation of waste-bio-degradable and non bio-degradable at the source level itself at all the nine zones of the city corporation.

The minister also disclosed that 200 acres of land has been identified near Hunsur to dispose waste under management of solid waste (MSW).

Health officer Dr D G Nagaraj, environmental engineer Shanthala and others were present.