Permanent compost yard to be set up away from naval station to prevent bird hits in Arakkonam

The modern yard will be set up at least 2 km away from INS Rajali. Dumping of garbage in the open near the station runway attracts birds. Feasibility report on a permanent yard for local bodies is being prepared, says Arakkonam RDO R. Fathima

The district administration will set up a modern compost yard to handle waste generated from six village panchayats at least 2 km away from Indian Naval Station (INS) Rajali in Arakkonam to prevent bird hits.

This comes in the wake of concerns raised by senior naval officers of the station at the environmental protection meeting held at town Revenue Divisional Office (RDO). The meeting was chaired by Collector J.U. Chandrakala in the presence of chief flying officer, INS Rajali, Sion Abraham, RDO, Arakkonam, R. Fathima, revenue officials and elected representatives.

“Open garbage dumping near the station was a major concern of naval authorities. Feasibility report on a permanent waste management yard for local bodies around the station is being prepared,” Ms. Fathima told The Hindu.

Revenue officials said that at present, Arakkonam is the only municipality away from town that has a separate compost yard to handle around 45 tonnes of waste every day. Villages in the vicinity of the naval station lack the facility. such as Venkatesapuram, Arthur, Perumuchi, Mosur, Puliyamangalam, Agan Nagar and Palanipettai Subsequently, most of the panchayats dump garbage on open wastelands near the station. On an average, these local bodies generate around one tonne of waste every month.

Such open dumping of garbageby these local bodies has attracted a large number of birds to these spots located near the runway of the station. Revenue officials said the naval station had reported a bird hit incident two months ago. As a result, addressing the open dumping has become necessary.

As per plan, the permanent solid waste management yard for these villages will be set up at least 2 km away from the station. Land is being identified for the purpose. The proposed yard will mainly handle compost wastes that can be converted into organic manure. Non-biodegradable wastes such as plastic items will be sent to shredding units to use them in cement factories.

Animal menace

The station is spread over 2,200 acres, of which around 10 percent is wooded area, close to the runway. Naval officials highlighted that this proximity has made the station, especially the runway, prone to the menace of stray dogs and wild boars. Such movement of animals on the runway This remains a major safety concern.

The officials sought the district administration to trap these animals through the Forest Department. In this regard, revenue officials said stray dogs could be trapped whereas a similar method for wild boars was not possible. However, requests have been made to the Forest Department to explore the possibility of trapping these animals.

Published - October 23, 2024 10:37 pm IST