Thiruvananthapuram: Anxiety over stink from waste plant

Thiruvananthapuram: People living by the side of Trivandrum Club, Vazhuthacaud, are complaining about a foul smell emanating from the Organic Waste Collector (OWC) plant installed here. Houses on the road from Sisuvihar Lane say that the malodour stays right through the day, and comes from the green facility on the club compound. Since they don’t know anything about the technology, they are also anxious that it would cause infectious diseases.

One of the residents, Yesudasan M, said that the nauseating smell had been there for a long time. Another resident said that there were mosquitoes and flies, because of the facility. When DC rang up the club, officials who answered said that they were not aware of such a complaint. Since it was a holiday, no key office bearers were available.

The staff said that the OWC was functioning properly. They said it would be cleaned at the earliest, and when the concerned official came, the issue would be pointed out. The staff at the club said that only food waste from the club was put into the plant. Corporation officials also said they were unaware of the issue. “If someone submits a complaint, the Corporation can look into it, though the OWC was not installed by us,” said an official.

The fear surrounding it might be unfounded, as the OWC is widely recognised as an ecofriendly technology. “It has a crusher, which turns the waste into fine powder. After this, it is put into boxes, over which sawdust, dry leaves and innoculum are put. The technology is fine. However, what could have gone wrong is the maintenance and supervision of the OWC plant,” says C N Manoj, a waste management expert.