Minister for Urban Development R. Roshan Baig has said that advanced technology will be used to stop the foul smell emanating from the Waste Treatment Plant near Sewage Farm at Vidyaranyapuram here.

It may be mentioned that the residents of Vidyaranyapuram have been repeatedly complaining to the MCC and the elected representatives about the unbearable foul smell and despite this, no action was taken though the residents were promised quick solutions.

Baig visited the plant yesterday along with MLA M.K. Somashekar after he chaired a meeting at MUDA. He said that to lessen the workload at the Vidyaranyapuram plant, the State Government will take steps to set up two more plants at Kesare and Rayanakere.

The Vidyaranyapuram plant processes 200 tonnes of garbage a day. The city generates over 400 tonnes of solid waste every day of which some 200 tonnes is dumped at the sewage farm, leading to pollution. While the MCC has proposed two more plants, one at Kesare and another at Rayanakere, they are yet to be approved by the government.

When the MLA and the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) officials told the Minister about the complaint of foul smell, he said that he would discuss with Chief Minister Siddharamaiah and the CM has already promised to sanction more funds for advanced technology.

There is a delay in construction of two additional plants at Kesare and Rayanakere. Though the proposal was made some five years back, it was announced in the MCC budget in 2015-16. But as the government has not granted approval, they are not implemented. The plan is to set up two plants with a capacity of 200 tonnes each, which will take care of the solid waste generated in the city for a decade.

The MCC is also processing the garbage locally, by setting up Zero Waste Management  Plants. Though similar plants were proposed in all the nine zones, only two are functioning effectively. The Minister visited the under-construction 10 lakh litres water storage tank at KHB Colony in Kalyangiri which has been designed to supply water to Azeez Sait Nagar, KHB Colony, Sathagalli, Shaktinagar and surrounding areas.

MLA Vasu, MCC Commissioner G. Jagadeesha and others accompanied the Minister.