SALEM: Tension prevailed at Mamangam on the outskirts of the city on Tuesday after residents gathered there to oppose the proposed waste-to-energy plant that would burn garbage from five districts — Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Karur and Erode — to generate electricity.Chief minister C Joseph Vijay had announced in the assembly the govt’s plan to set up the waste-to-energy plant. Local communities and activists have strongly opposed it, citing environmental and health issues.On Tuesday morning, more than 300 residents assembled at the designated site, expecting the arrival of Salem corporation commissioner Lalith Adithyaneelam. When Adithyaneelam did not turn up, mayor A Ramachandran, accompanied by councillors, visited the spot and was surrounded by the protesting public.Ramachandran assured them that he had consistently opposed the project and even staged protests earlier. He alleged that the corporation commissioner had failed to forward the council’s resolution against the project to the govt. “We will not allow the plant to come up here. Do not worry,” he told the crowd.