Garbage poses a big challenge to Gudalur municipality

  • | Wednesday | 28th June, 2017

The government should take immediate steps to identify a place for developing a proper dump yard for the municipality. Earlier, the collected garbage was dumped in a remote area in Gudalur. Hence the allotted money to the municipality was not released by the government," said Parvathi.Now, the municipality has taken up nearly an acre of private land (within the municipality limit) on lease for dumping garbage. "We have been using a private land taken on lease for dumping wet wastes for the past six months. We have written to the government to identify a land for dumping segregated garbage," municipal commissioner Parvathi told TOI.

Udhagamandalam: With 21 wards and a population of around 54,000, the Gudalur municipality in the Nilgiris is in need of a dump yard.All these years, the municipality had been using a revenue land close to the forest area for dumping garbage . However, after it got a petition in this regard, the national green tribunal (NGT) stopped the civic body to use the place."We have been using a private land taken on lease for dumping wet wastes for the past six months. We have written to the government to identify a land for dumping segregated garbage," municipal commissioner Parvathi told TOI."The municipality never had a dedicated dump yard. Earlier, the collected garbage was dumped in a remote area in Gudalur. But a petition by locals to NGT claiming the dump yard is located close to forest area paved way for a stay order," Parvathi said. "Each day, the municipality collects at least 15 tonnes of solid waste, including dry and wet. It is quite difficult to dispose the huge quantity of garbage without a proper dump yard."Meanwhile, in 2010, a revenue land was identified in Devarshola panchayat near Gudalur and the municipality brought four acres of the land. Under solid waste management scheme, Rs 5.48 crore was sanctioned to develop a proper dump yard with fencing. However, another petition by locals to the NGT became a hurdle to the municipality again. "The case is still pending with the tribunal. Hence the allotted money to the municipality was not released by the government," said Parvathi.Now, the municipality has taken up nearly an acre of private land (within the municipality limit) on lease for dumping garbage. "We are using the open land to dump wet waste," the official said.According to Parvathi, at least 15 huge garbage bins placed along the roads have been removed as garbage is being collected at the doorsteps. "Commercial establishments and households hand over the segregated garbage to sanitary workers. While dry waste is collected once in three days, wet waste is collected regularly," she said.The dry waste is sold for Rs 2 per kg to Green Bloom Solutions in Ooty for recycling and the wet waste is dumped at the yard for compost."Gudalur has forest as well as town area. The government should take immediate steps to identify a place for developing a proper dump yard for the municipality. It is a great cause of concern," a social activist said.The municipality has plans to sell the compost made of the wet waste at the yard at a nominal price.

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