VIJAYAWADA:Residents of Ajith Singh Nagar are up in arms against the manner in which garbage is being disposed of for the last two weeks at the Excel Plant owned by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC). Heaps of solid waste has piled up on a stretch of 20 acres and the VMC is not following the process of converting the garbage into fertiliser, despite repeated appeals made by the residents.
Upon entering the dump yard, the sight of smouldering garbage including everything from plastics, metals to paper, organic, electric, rubber and construction waste remains an eyesore.
A large percentage of the city’s garbage is seen burning unscientifically at the Excel Plant releasing toxic gases and carbon dioxide in the air. Commuters who pass through this road have to cover their noses to avoid smoke and foul smell.
Moreover, the indiscriminate dumping of garbage and trash piled up by rag pickers, unbridled movement of pigs and stray dogs besides the mosquito menace are taking a toll on the health of people living in the residential colonies nearby the dump yard. The residents allege that the plant is not following norms. The plant only has permission to turn garbage into energy, but residents say tonnes of non-biodegradable waste is being dumped there.
Pollution woes fall on deaf ears
“In the name of recycling, plastic and non-biodegradable garbage is being dumped there,” S Durga Prasad, a resident said. They are only permitted to convert garbage into energy so why are they setting fire to garbage? Every night, garbage is set on fire and thick, toxic smoke engulfs the locality. We brought it to the notice of VMC officials many times, but nothing has been done.”
Prasad says residents have formed a Citizen Monitoring Committee to tackle the issue and it had even complained about the problem to municipal commissioner G Veerapandian, but in vain.
“We cannot keep our windows and doors open because the VMC illegally keeps burning plastic and other non-biodegradable waste,” said K Sujatha, a resident. Senior citizens and children residing in the apartments nearby the dumping yard are more prone to lung disorders and affect immune system with the smell and smoke emanated after burning plastic,” she added.
The residents had been reeling under the stench emanating from the dump and the resultant air pollution over the years.
The unscientific disposal of garbage coupled with the greedy tactics of rag pickers who set on fire the mounds of garbage to extract metal scrap is posing serious health hazards to the residents of the locality, lamented Taxpayers Association secretary M V Anjaneyulu.
CPM state leader Ch Babu Rao alleged that indiscriminate dumping and burning of garbage by the municipal authorities at the plant had been causing problems to residents of almost six divisions. The poll promise of shifting the dumping yard to another place remained on papers, even after completion of two-and-a-half years of rule by the TDP government. “People will take to streets if the State government and VMC failed to evolve a plan to shift the dumping yard from households,” Babu Rao said.
