Pacchanady residents demand zero tolerance to waste menace

The District administration and government should observe zero tolerance to waste menace in Pacchanady, activists and residents-cum-members of Pacchanadi Hagu Ghanatyajya Baadhita Itara Pradeshagala Samrakshana Samiti said on Thursday.

''The Centre's regulations-2016 for management of waste should be strictly implemented,'' members urged and added that construction waste, e-waste and plastic waste should be managed separately.

Activist M G Hegde lamented that the solid waste management (SWM) system in Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) limits was not transparent despite spending crores of rupees on segregation and management of waste at source.

Due to some corrupt officials, the worst-ever situation was created in Pacchanady, he said. He recollected that the garbage sliding at the landfill area in Pacchanady, which begun during previous monsoon, had destroyed many houses and agricultural fields in Mandarabailu village. Hegde pointed out that the landfill leachate was polluting surface water sources by percolating into wells and borewells in the area.

A resident from Mandarabailu said the areas near Pacchanady landfill area were facing acute shortage of water.

"Water is supplied by the city corporation once in two days, that too, for one hour," the person said.

More houses face a threat of being destroyed due to garbage sliding in the next monsoon too.

Residents charged that incidents of toxic garbage catching fire at the landfill area was taking place at regular intervals.

"Thus residents are suspicious on whether the fire is accidental or intentionally done by vandals. The stench of unprocessed waste and toxic fumes produced during the incident had been causing health hazards among the residents. The villages in Kudupu, Tiruvail, Shaktinagar, Padushedde, Kiram and Neermarga too are affected, they said.

Activists also warned that the landfill leachate is percolating into Maravooru dam from where drinking water is supplied to villages. The leachate flowing in open drains also joins Pilikula lake, threatening the lives of creatures in the biodiversity park, he said.

Residents Lawrence D'Souza, Roshan Kamath, Sr Veronica and Rakesh Lobo were present.