Mysore/Mysuru: Demanding shifting of the Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling Plant at Hale Kesare, the residents of the area and surrounding places, under the banner of Janaspandana Samithi, staged a protest in front of the Waste Treatment Plant yesterday morning.

The residents, along with Samithi members and Siddalingapura Gram Panchayat members, who assembled in front of the Kesare Waste Treatment Plant, expressed anger over the problems caused by the Plant and shouted slogans against the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC).

Pointing out that the Kesare Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling Plant was constructed in Survey Nos. 309 and 318 at Kesare village, the protesters said that the waste collected in Mysuru city was being dumped in the Kesare Plant but not being segregated properly resulting in wet and animal wastes getting decomposed and foul smell emanating from it which is spreading in the entire village and surrounding places creating unhygienic environment.

The protesters also said that to reduce the waste collected at Sewage Farm in Vidyaranyapuram, the MCC taking the health of the residents were clearing the waste at Sewage Farm and dumping the same at Kesare Plant besides stating that 100 tonnes of the 200 tonnes of waste generated in city was being dumped in Kesare Plant which was causing a lot of inconvenience to the residents.

MCC Commissioner Ashaad-ur-Rahman Shariff, who arrived at the spot, listened to the grievances of the residents and received a memorandum from Siddalingapura Gram Panchayat. The MCC Commissioner assured the protesters that steps will be initiated to prevent foul smell from emanating from the dumped waste. Not happy with the assurance, the protesters informed the MCC Commissioner that they would continue with the protest.

A meeting to decide about continuing the protest will be held this evening.

Siddalingapura Gram Pan-chayat President C. Mahadesh, Members Revanna, Vishwanath, Jyothi, Lalithamma, Srinivas, Arpitha, Sujatha, Asha, residents of Hale Kesare and others took part in the protest.