Mysuru: With no respite from the stink of the garbage piled up enormously at the Excel Solid Waste Management Plant or Sewage Farm at Vidyaranyapuram, Federation of Mysuru South Apartment Owners and Welfare Association has decided to boycott the forthcoming Assembly elections and also garner support of all the residents in Vidyaranyapuram and Chamundipuram through a massive campaign.

In the vicinity of the Waste Treatment Plant are 24 apartment complexes housing about 2,000 flats with 8,000-odd residents. Added to that are about 20 schools and colleges with thousands of students and all of them continue to suffer the unbearable stench from the garbage accumulated at the plant, according to the residents.

Federation member Shivaji Rao Jadhav speaking to Star of Mysore alleged that the chemical spray to contain the stink was ineffective, wasting lakhs of rupees of tax payers’ money. With no way to go, he contended that the residents had decided to boycott the polls if no corrective measures were taken before that.

Briefing further, Jadhav said that commencing next week, the Federation would submit a memorandum in that context every week to Deputy Commissioner, MCC Commissioner, ward Corporator, Mayor and MP in that order and watch for the response and action. He further said that a signature campaign of all the students of the region would be launched along with garnering support of all the residents of JP Nagar, Vishveshwaranagar, Vidyaranyapuram and Chamundipuram to join the campaign to boycott the polls. He added that leaflets on the matter would be distributed to all people to draw their support.

Going further another member of the Federation Y.A. Subramanya alleged that medical waste from many hospitals and nursing homes were being indiscriminately dumped at the treatment plant which should be actually incinerated at source.

Raising concern of a fire mishap due to release of the highly combustible methane gas from the unprocessed waste, Subramanya expressed apprehension that it would be a major catastrophe which would be an impossible challenge for fire tenders.

He alleged that hospitals across the city are bringing medical and surgical waste to Sewage Farm at night and are disposing them off after bribing the gatekeepers of the Farm. Many times, residents have seen human body parts including fingers, legs amidst heaps of garbage.