Mysuru addresses legacy waste through bioremediation to improve Swachh Bharat ranking

The legacy waste of nearly seven lakh tonnes, which had been accumulating at a sewage farm in Vidyaranyapura, is now being processed through bioremediation after years of delay in a move that will improve Mysuru’s Swachh Bharat rankings in the coming years.

The city, which was ranked as the cleanest in the country in the 2016 edition of Swacch Bharat, steadily dropped in the rankings but managed to be among the top 10 cities in the national ranking till 2022.

But in the 2023 cycle of assessment, the city’s national ranking slipped to 27th position sending shock and dismay among the citizens and the local authorities. This was attributed to the legacy waste which had not been cleared for decades, and the focus of the assessment had shifted to garbage-free cities. Last year, Mysuru lost nearly 300 marks as the recycling project of the legacy waste had remained a non-starter.

K.S. Mruthyunjaya, Assistant Executive Engineer, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and the nodal officer for implementing the Swachh Bharat mission, said, “A Gujarat-based company has started the remediation or biomining process in a scientific manner as per protocols stipulated by the Central Pollution Control Board.”

The clearing exercise commenced early this year, and it is expected to be completed by January 2026. Apart from ensuring that a major health hazard and an eyesore of Mysuru is eliminated, it will also improve air quality in the area and contribute to the improvement of the city’s ranking. The biomining or remediation project to clear legacy waste is being implemented at a cost of nearly Rs. 60 crore.

In 2022, the legacy waste accumulated was estimated to be six lakh tonnes. But a revised estimate before the launch of the works pegged it at seven lakh tonnes. As a result, the project cost is expected to increase.

The MCC had come under flak for not addressing the garbage issue in the city last year, and the official said the commissioning of the waste treatment plant at Rayankere, Kesare, and one more at Vidyaranyapuram will help in addressing the garbage issue. The installed capacity of the three plants is to handle and recycle 550 tons of garbage per day, and this is equal to the actual waste generated in Mysuru every day.

The absence of the construction and demolition waste recycling plant also had a negative bearing on Mysuru’s overall ranking but the official said that land has already been identified, and the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) was expected to transfer it in due course, he added.

Published - December 17, 2024 07:10 pm IST