Mysuru: The Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has commenced operations at waste processing units near Kesare and Rayanakere, handling approximately 130 tonnes of waste daily.

Previously, nearly 300 tonnes of wet and dry waste generated daily from residential areas across Mysuru were dumped solely at the Vidyaranyapuram Sewage Farm. This caused massive garbage piles resembling mountains, leading to foul odours and severe opposition from the area residents.

Now, efforts have commenced to clear the solid waste that has accumulated over the past 20 years at the Vidyaranyapuram Sewage Farm through bio-remediation. A private firm has been entrusted with the task and complete clearance is expected by January 2026.

To reduce the burden on the Vidyaranyapuram plant and enhance Mysuru city’s waste management capacity, the MCC has set up two additional waste processing units at Kesare and Rayanakere, significantly easing the strain.

In November 2023, a waste processing unit was inaugurated on a six-acre site near Kesare. Wet waste from the city’s eastern parts is now transported here for processing.

This unit handles 30 to 50 tonnes of waste daily, converting it into compost manure. While some of the compost is used in Corporation parks and gardens, the rest is sold to the public at Rs. 2,050 per tonne, said MCC Environmental Engineer Sridevi.

In July 2024, a dry and wet waste treatment plant near Rayanakere was launched on a four-acre site. This facility processes an average of 60 to 80 tonnes of waste daily. It houses a 15 TPD (Tonnes Per Day) wet waste processing unit and a 10 TPD dry waste segregation unit, converting waste into materials required by cement factories.

Both these waste processing units have been outsourced to private agencies through tenders for treatment and disposal.

The waste collected door-to-door by MCC Pourakarmikas is transported to these units, where it is processed and recycled, and any non-reusable material is sent to landfills, according to Environmental Engineer Naveen from the Rayanakere unit. The operation of these units has notably reduced the burden on the Vidyaranyapuram Sewage Farm.