Sat Jan 11 13:51:48 UTC 2025: ## Coimbatore Bio-CNG Plant Faces Resident Backlash
**COIMBATORE, INDIA (January 11, 2025)** – Plans for a ₹69.20 crore Bio-CNG plant at Coimbatore’s Vellalore dumpyard are facing strong opposition from local residents. The proposed plant, intended to process 250 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste daily into biofuel, has sparked concerns over environmental impact and lack of community consultation.
The Vellalore dumpyard currently receives 1,200 tonnes of waste daily, and residents have long complained about foul odors and groundwater contamination. They are demanding the relocation of the dumpyard, citing a 2018 National Green Tribunal (NGT) directive to the Coimbatore Corporation to comply with Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. A suo motu case regarding the dumpyard’s location is currently before the NGT.
K.S. Mohan, secretary of the Kurichi-Vellalore Pollution Prevention Action Committee, stated that the Corporation’s plan to proceed with the Bio-CNG plant without consulting residents is unacceptable. The committee is urging the Corporation to halt the project until the NGT issues its final verdict and requesting the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to withhold permission.
A Coimbatore Corporation official countered that the plant would be odorless and efficiently manage waste. They confirmed that construction will not begin before the next NGT hearing on February 5th. The situation highlights ongoing tensions between urban development and environmental concerns in Coimbatore.
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