Run-off from mushroom compost makes roads impassable in Ketti Palada

Spent mushroom compost mixed with rainwater is making parts of Ketti Palada in Adhigaratty near Coonoor impassable for many of its residents, especially pedestrians walking through the area.

According to locals, the problem is most acute in the Colony Mattam area, a residential locality home to mostly agricultural labourers, most of whom have to walk to the village of Ketti to board buses to reach their places of work as well as schools, and access basic amenities.

Local residents said that due to the extensive cultivation of mushrooms in the area, large landowners, who look to sell the spent mushroom compost to other farms due to its high nutritional content, are piling large bags of the compost by the side of the road. “During spells of heavy rain, the water seeps through the bags and inundates the stretch of road between Ketti Palada and Colony Mattam,” said a resident, who urged the Nilgiris district administration to instruct the owners to store the compost in sheds away from roads frequently used by the public.

Residents also stated that the compost attracts flies and other pests into their residences, increasing the risk of illness. “The inundated roads also become very difficult for people to walk through, meaning that people who do not have private vehicles cannot buy provisions or get access to essential amenities like healthcare or schools,” they alleged.

Revenue Department officials stated that they would conduct an inspection in the area soon to discern steps that can be taken to address the issue.