MYSURU | March 02, 2015:
The Mysuru district administration is considering a plan to use depleted open-cast mine pits as landfills to effectively manage the city’s solid waste.
Two such pits have been identified for the purpose - one at Doddakanya, which lies between Mysuru and Nanjangud, and the other at Shyadanahalli in Mysuru taluk adjoining the Outer Ring Road. While Doddakanya is spread over 30 acres, Shyadanahalli is anout 100 acres.
This was stated by Deputy Commissioner C.Shikha during an interaction on solid waste management held in the city on Monday. She said a meeting of experts and stakeholders would be called to take the idea forward.
Doddakanya used to be mined by the Tata group for dunite used in steel manufacturing. The mines are now defunct.
US-based SWM expert Vasuki, who earlier made a presentation on harnessing technology for managing waste, supported the proposal. He said technology was available to prevent pollution of air, ground water and soil from the pits and cited the example of a similar landfill in Delaware in the US designed by him and functioning for over two decades.
"The use of depleted mine pits as landfill sites is also expected to be cost-effective as there will be no need for land excavations and waste would be used for back filling of pits,’’ said Ms.Shikha. She underlined that it would be non-polluting and without odour and hence would not affect the local community.
The city generates around 402 tonnes of waste every day of which 240 tonnes is converted into compost. The 34- acre land fill has not been used effectively. The solid waste treatment plant at the sewage farm is a centralised unit handling the bulk of the city's waste.
But it has a capacity to handle about 250 tonnes and the spill over has caused air pollution. The local residents have complained of the bad odour from the plant and have staged protests demanding its relocation.
(Source: http://www.thehindu.com/)