Foul smell from garbage transit point

Nellore: As the efforts are on transform Nellore city into a smart one, but people passing through Bodigadithota locality on Mypadu road are facing severe trouble with the foul smell emanating from the garbage transit point where it is being dumped and further shifted to other places for process.

Especially, people living in Bodigadithota, Zakir Hussain Nagar and Settigunta road were found to be the most affected. Nellore city is spread over 150 square kilometres where 250-300 metric tonnes of solid waste is being generated every day.

This is being dumped at transit point located in Bodigadithota area and would be shifted to other parts close to the city. Bodigadithota locality has become unliveable due to foul smell emanating from the transit point.

Authorities of the Nellore Municipal Corporation have failed to shift the transit point from residential colonies. The civic body has proposed to shift the transit point to Allipuram and Donthali areas but the proposal yet to be materialised.

The residents of nearby colonies staged protests in the past demanding shifting of the point, but they withdrew protests after getting assurance from the local politicians and authorities. However, officials concerned have not taken any measures to resolve the problem.

‘The worrying issue is that only people staying close to the transit point are facing ill-effects, while the entire city is unaware of it. Foul smell emanating from the transit point has been creating air pollution,’ said K Ramana residing in Bodigadithota.

The garbage collected from 54 divisions is being dumped in the transit point using trucks of the Nellore Municipal Corporation, he added. Moreover, the foul smell being generated from the heaps of garbage is giving sleepless nights to the local residents and posing serious health threat.

People say that over utilisation of the yard had polluted the environment in the vicinity. Air and water sources have been polluted beyond tolerable limits and people have started facing the consequences, they added.

A burial ground, is located very close to the transit point at Bodigadithota on the banks of River Penna, has been proposed to develop with Rs 30 lakh. But people, who attend funeral ceremonies have been facing severe trouble, due to foul smell from the heaps of garbage.

A local CPI leader said that local residents of Bodigadithota and also other areas have been experiencing ill-effects due to the transit point. She said that there was no sincere effort from civic body and politicians to address the problem.