Mixed waste at Vellalore dump yard continues to pose challenge for Coimbatore Corporation

Coimbatore Corporation struggles with waste segregation, leading to foul odors and processing issues at Vellalore dump yard.

The Coimbatore Corporation continues to face difficulties in enforcing source segregation, with a significant share of municipal solid waste (MSW) arriving at the Vellalore dump yard in mixed form.

According to data tabulated by the Corporation, 3,882.19 tonnes of mixed waste was openly dumped at the Vellalore dump yard in December 2024 alone. This has affected waste processing operations and triggered complaints of foul smell from nearby areas.

Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabakaran said repeated inspections were carried out following complaints from people living near the site.

Since late last year, surprise inspections have been conducted at the dump yard. Show cause notices were served on companies handling chicken waste, municipal solid waste, and vermicomposting after irregularities were observed in their processing methods.

During the inspections, Coimbatore Integrated Waste Management Company Pvt. Ltd. (CIWMCPL), which manages around 700 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily through windrow composting, was found to have discharged untreated leachate onto land reserved for the proposed Vellalore bus stand. The Corporation cited this as a cause of stagnation and odour, and imposed a fine of ₹50 lakh on the firm.

“As people living nearby complained about the increasing foul odour, surprise inspections were carried out regularly. The chicken waste processing facility (15 TPD) was found to produce more odour and was ordered to shut down last week. The leachate issue has now been addressed. We are monitoring the situation to see whether the odour subsides. There is also a need for better technology that can process chicken waste more efficiently without generating foul smell,” said Mr. Prabakaran.

In a letter to the Corporation, CIWMCPL stated that it was struggling to process the waste effectively due to the high volume of mixed waste being supplied. In March 2025 alone, the firm reported receiving 8,291.1 tonnes of mixed waste, which accounted for 43% of the total 19,352.795 tonnes of municipal solid waste received that month. The company has urged the Corporation to ensure the supply of fully segregated waste for effective processing.