Thanjavur: The residents of Jebamalaipuram and its surrounding areas, who have been suffering the unbearable stench and thick smoke emanating from the corporation’s garbage dump yard for generations, will soon get a relief, thanks to the corporation’s proposal to convert the existing garbage yard into composting yard, under the solid waste management scheme.

The garbage dump yard, located on a sprawling 24 acres of land at Jebamalaipuram, receives an average of 110 metric tonnes of garbage collected daily from the Thanjavur city. About 1.25 lakh cubic metres of garbage has so far been dumped at the Jebamalaipuram yard over the years.

The residents of Jebamalaipuram and its surrounding areas have been demanding for long that the existing garbage dump year be shifted to elsewhere as the stench emanating from the garbage yard was unbearable, and the smoke due to frequent fire mishaps causes respiratory and other lung ailments.

Much to the relief of the locals, the city corporation has now drawn up a plan for turning the garbage dump yard into composting yard and greenery. The state government has sanctioned a sum of Rs.11.85 crores from the special solid waste management fund for the purchase of machinery and vehicles. “With this amount, we have purchased 130 tricycles, 144 garbage bins, five tipper autos, two tipper lorries, and three computers. Machineries are getting ready,” an official said.

The Corporation will begin composting organic wastes at its facility by February 2017, the official said.

For every 100 tonnes of organic wastes the civic body composts, about 40 tons of manure will be produced, the official said.

Also, work is now on to turn the existing garbage yard into lung space. Large pits, measuring 100×100 feet, have been dug on the land. Garbage and clay barriers will be laid into the pits. Then grass will be grown upon it.

Also, works are underway to erect a bio-methanation plant at an outlay of Rs.90 lakhs. The power generated out of it will be used for operating lights and borewells at the Jebamalaipuram yard. 45 KW power will be generated for every 5 metric tons of organic wastes, the official said.