• Sewage Farm work to resume after machine maintenance
• 16 to 17 tonnes of waste remain to be cleared; company gets two-month extension
• Residents complain of foul smell

Mysuru: Waste clearance at the Solid Waste Management Unit, popularly known as the Excel Plant, at the Sewage Farm in Vidyaranyapuram has been temporarily suspended for machine maintenance, even as residents of surrounding areas complain of a foul smell.

Following complaints from residents, Star of Mysore visited the plant this morning and found that work had been paused. Workers at the site said, clearance would resume once maintenance was completed. They added that most of the legacy waste accumulated over several decades had been cleared.

A view of the waste clearance process where solid waste is powdered to be sent to cement factories.

The contract for clearing the waste through bioremediation (bio-mining) was awarded to Surat-based D.H. Patel Company in March 2024.

Before the process began, more than six lakh tonnes of Municipal solid waste had accumulated at the site over nearly three decades, forming hill-like mounds and triggering protests from residents of J.P. Nagar, Kanakagiri, Gundu Rao Nagar, Vidyaranyapuram and Vishweshwaranagar.

Over 16 to 17 tonnes remain to be cleared

“Of the six blocks, five have been completely cleared. Only around 16 to 17 tonnes remain in the first block and work is underway to clear it,” workers at the site said. They added that heavy rain and the time taken to set up the plant had delayed the work.

The waste is processed using machinery and converted into powder, which is then transported to a cement factory for use.

Workers are spraying chemicals to control the foul odour emanating from the waste treatment plant.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, J.P. Nagar resident Flavia Nazareth said residents had been relieved when the newspaper reported about six months ago that 60 percent of the waste dump had been cleared under the contract awarded to the Gujarat-based company.

“It is shocking that the foul stench has returned with a vengeance. For the past month, residents have been struggling with an unbearable smell that seems to have come to stay. MCC trucks are once again seen ferrying waste in large quantities, apparently more than before,” she said.

“The situation is affecting the health of infants, school children and senior citizens, with residents complaining of breathing difficulties, sore eyes, itching and allergies. The mosquito menace has only added to their woes. Pregnant women are among the worst affected, suffering nausea from unbearable stench,” she added.

When SOM contacted, MCC Commissioner M.K. Savitha said the company had sought an extension to complete the work, which was approved by the Deputy Commissioner and the Commissioner. She said the remaining waste would be cleared within the next two months, barring minor delays due to rain.

Responding to complaints about foul smell, Savitha said a special deodorising spray had been applied to control the odour. A subsequent inspection found that the smell had reduced considerably, she added.