Coimbatore Corporation will set up 65 micro composting centres within four months, as committed to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), say official sources.
In its order in the case filed by MDMK State Youth Wing Secretary V. Eswaran and Vellalore resident K.S. Mohan against State Government and Corporation officials, the Tribunal directed the civic body to start operations in the centres within four months. It also directed the Corporation to complete biomining the 15.50 lakh cubic metre accumulated waste within 12 months.
It also directed the Corporation to obtain renewal for operating its vermi compost and biomethanation plants in Vellalore and the Coimbatore Integrated Waste Management Company Pvt. Ltd., to obtain consent for operating its plant from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, which told the Tribunal and both the parties had not obtained its consent.
The Tribunal represented by Justice S.P. Wangdi, judicial member, and Nagin Nanda, expert member, said, “We are deeply concerned by the fact that there has been delay on the part of the Corporation in dealing with the matter.
The State respondents [State Government] and the Corporation ought to expeditiously identify a suitable alternative location for establishment of the MSW [municipal solid waste] Treatment Plant to be run in accordnace with the procedure laid down in the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.”
Corporation officials say that the civic body is in the process of submitting applications to the Board seeking its consent.
Commenting the order, petitioner Mr. Eswaran said now that the Corporation had stated that it was establishing 65 micro composting centres, the civic body should not take more than 600 tonnes waste a day to Vellalore. And, the 600 tonnes should go to the company – Coimbatore Integrated Waste Management Company Pvt. Ltd.
And, after 12 months, by which time the biomining exercise would have been completed, the Corporation should remove the remaining waste. It should also not establish any other waste processing facility in Vellalore.
Differing with his interpretation, Corporation officials said nothing in the Tribunal’s order prevented the civic body from establishing another waste processing plant in Vellalore. In fact, the Corporation was in the processing of establishing a facility to process 400 tonnes waste a day.
As for the residual waste – remaining after the biomining process – the Corporation would sell it to any industry that was in need of it, to be used as fuel.