Villagers oppose solid waste management plant in Bundu

Seraikela: Residents of Bundu village under Seraikela block have strongly opposed the proposed Solid Waste Management Plant planned by the Seraikela Nagar Panchayat.

On Sunday, villagers convened a special Gram Sabha where they unanimously objected to the project.

A meeting between the administration and villagers was scheduled for Monday, prompting dozens of residents to gather at the proposed site since morning. However, when no administrative representative arrived even by late afternoon, the villagers marched to the Deputy Commissioner’s office and submitted a memorandum.

The memorandum, submitted by Bundu Gram Sabha head Kushanu Mundari, stated that the Urban Development Department has selected seven acres of government land (Khata No. 152, Plot No. 555) in Bundu under Itakudar Panchayat for the plant. Villagers fear that the project will expose Bundu and nearby villages—Itakudar, Dudhi, Manikbazar, Hensa, Pandra and Digarsai—to harmful gases and pollution.

The Gram Sabha has unanimously decided to oppose the construction and demanded that the land selection for the plant be revoked in view of public dissent. Former Deputy Chief of Seraikela Block, Michael Mahato, who was present at the site, said the waste generated by Seraikela Nagar Panchayat should be managed within the town limits or disposed of in another suitable urban location.