TIRUPUR: Construction work on the proposed bio-CNG plant of the Tirupur Corporation has been suspended following strong objections from residents, with the district administration seeking to examine the concerns raised over the project.The plant, planned on 8.18 acres in Manickapuram village panchayat near Palladam, has a proposed processing capacity of 200 tonne of biodegradable municipal waste a day. The project was conceived as part of the corporation’s efforts to address its mounting solid-waste management problem.Residents have opposed the location, stating that a waste-processing facility close to their residential areas could have adverse consequences. They had earlier petitioned the then Tirupur collector, Manish Narnaware, demanding that the project be shifted to somewhere else and that the identified parcel of land be used for other purposes.The controversy comes against the backdrop of the corporation struggling to manage around 600-700 tonne of waste generated daily from the city. About 110 tonne of waste is sent to micro composting centres and around 150 tonne is sent to recycling plants, while a substantial quantity has been dumped in abandoned stone quarries, triggering further protests.With public opposition intensifying, the district collector has ordered a temporary halt to the ongoing construction. Officials are expected to examine the objections and the project’s compliance with applicable requirements before further work is allowed.The corporation had earlier explored alternative locations for the 200-tonne-per-day facility after opposition to its proposed site on the Kangeyam Road.EOM
