Mysuru: Unbearable stink emanating from Solid Waste Management Plant or Excel Solid Waste Management Plant in Vidyaranyapuram is proving to be a health hazard to local residents. Residents of J.P. Nagar, Vishveshwaranagar and Vidyaranyapuram have been suffering from different ailments like nausea, headache and asthma.

A meeting was held here on Wednesday at Mahaveer Bhavan on Akkamahadevi Road to listen to the grievances of the residents where several of them sought a speedy solution to the problem.

The meeting was organised by former Minister S.A. Ramdas. Residents vented their ire against Krishnaraja Constituency MLA M.K. Somashekar for not solving the problem all these years.

Residents alleged that Somashekar had won the last elections on this particular issue and had assured them that the Plant would be shifted. Despite the constituency figuring in CM Siddharamaiah’s hometown, the problem has remained, tormenting the residents.

One enraged resident said, “We have seen MLA Somashekar only doing some guddali puja and inaugurating some road works in the last five years and we have not seen him genuinely addressing our problem.”

Residents of Vidyaranyapuram, Kanakagiri, Gundu Rao Nagar and Vishveshwaranagar had constituted the Excel Plant Virodhi Samithi to demand relocation of the plant some time ago. The Samithi said that the areas within a radius of 3 km from the Plant were badly affected and it risked the health of thousands of people.

The Excel Treatment Plant was set up under JnNURM Project in 1996. Nearly 500 tonnes of solid waste is treated at the sewage farm daily to produce compost. However, tonnes of untreated garbage go untreated, given that the city produces nearly 700-800 tonnes of waste. Residents said that the animal carcass and other waste from slaughter houses were dumped directly into the plant, leading to unbearable stench.

“We have not even opened our windows from many days due to the foul smell. Locals suffer from nausea, headache and sleepless nights,” residents said. The Plant also burns plastic which emits bad smell and carbon dioxide.

Responding to the residents’ woes, Ramdas said that the only way remaining now is to solve the problem in the protest route. He said that the Plant is handling waste beyond its capacity. “We will pressurise the authorities to restrict waste disposal to 150 tonnes and shift the other waste to the remaining waste disposal units,” he said.

The residents resolved to stage protests from Dec.14 to 16. It will be a non-political struggle and a series of jathas with school children, residents and office-goers living in the vicinity will be held to raise voice against the waste treatment plant.