In a huge relief for residents of Daruthenga on the outskirts of State capital who have been protesting for relocation of the city’s dumping yard since long, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities have decided to stop disposing wastes at the dumping site soon.
The waste disposal would be stopped at the dumping yard at Daruthenga after operationalisation of micro-composting centres, informed BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhury on Saturday.
He told reporters, “By the directive of the State Government, we are setting up micro-composting centres at 43 locations. Out of the garbage generated in the city, the wet waste, the biodegradable waste, will be composted at the micro-composting centres and the dry waste will be recycled.”
While only one micro-composting centre has been completed so far, the construction at over 25 locations is underway. Each micro-composting centre has a capacity of five tonnes to transform the waste into compost.
“We are trying to set up the centres as quickly as possible. However, it may take around eight months to one year to make the entire system operational,” said the BMC Commissioner.
Notably, the villagers of Daruthenga panchayat have been opposing garbage disposal after it reportedly created serious health hazards in the locality. The residents complain that the dumping site has become a breeding ground of mosquitoes and the wastes emit foul smell after getting soaked in water during monsoon.
Earlier in 2016, former Sarpanch of Daruthenga Prashant Routray had spearheaded a movement against the BMC by preventing waste transporting vehicles from entering into the dumping yard. He was arrested for allegedly manhandling police personnel during a standoff between villagers and the BMC authorities.