The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : Time-bound solution to redress woes of Vellalore residents

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 04, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Time-bound solution to redress woes of Vellalore residents

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, JULY 3. The district administration, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the Coimbatore Corporation today hammered out a time-bound solution to the problems the Corporation's compost yard at Vellalore posed to residents in the Kurichi-Vellalore area.

To be provided in two phases, the first part that is to be implemented immediately is the stationing of a water lorry (with a jet nozzle) for round-the-clock at the yard to put out fire in the waste dumps. (Thick smoke from burning dumps had caused respiratory and visual problems in the residents). Besides, a loader-cum-excavator will also be available at the site to level the waste and make it easier for carrying out landfill (the only available option now for disposal).

Two more borewells will be sunk at the yard to ensure more water is available to douse the blaze in the dumps, as the existing one may not be adequate. (However, there is no clear response from the civic body on how to prevent the setting ablaze of the waste dumps.) The second phase, that is expected to take at least three months to complete, will involve construction of a six-and-half ft high wall around a 50-acre dumping space deep inside the 600-acre sewage farm.

Briefing presspersons after a meeting with representatives of the Kurichi-Vellalore Pollution Prevention Committee and officials of the Pollution Control Board, in which officials of the civic body also participated, the Mayor, T. Malaravan, and the Collector, S. Kosalaraman, said as an immediate measure a panel headed by the Perur MLA, "Rohini" M.P. Krishnakumar and comprising the affected residents, representatives of the committee would be formed to monitor the dumping and disposal of waste at the yard.

Meet on July 8

With regard to the unsafe dumping of bio-medical waste, they said a meeting with the Indian Medical Association and representatives of various private hospitals would be held on July 8, to evolve alternative methods of safe disposal until the proposed common facilitator for scientific disposal of such hazardous waste was established. The site for the facilitator had been identified at Orattukuppai near Chettipalayam on the city outskirts. (The proposal had been put on hold as one of the private operators vying for the project has moved the court against implementation by another operator.)

Converting solid waste into manure

The civic body wanted to have the project implemented soon so that the problem of bio-medical waste could be provided a lasting solution. Meanwhile, a private operator, W2W, would begin the process of converting the municipal solid waste at the yard into manure. This would help in avoiding accumulation of waste. Besides the Perur MLA, the Deputy Mayor, K. Raghupathy, the Deputy Commissioner of the Corporation and Commissioner in-charge, M. Karunakaran and the District Environmental Engineer, K. Elankumaran, were also present.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News Update

Stories in this Section

Poor groundwater quality causes concern

Time-bound solution to redress woes of Vellalore residents

Students hit as textbook scarcity continues

Breakthrough in dacoity and murder cases

BSNL tariff plans

Power theft

In Coimbatore Today