The smell of garbage from the Kodungaiyur dump yard has engulfed nearby residential areas. While many residents say that the stench is nothing new for them, the rains have worsened the situation, leaving them to struggle with an unbearable odour from the yard for the last few days.
A cross-section of residents of Krishnamoorthy Nagar, Ezhil Nagar and Rajarathinam Nagar complained that the stench from the garbage dump yard has turned unbearable in the last few days. Repeated attempts to reach authorities of Greater Chennai Corporation ended in vain, they said.
Ganesan Perumal, a resident of Krishnamoorthy Nagar and secretary of Ever Vigilant Citizens Welfare Association, said usually, rains worsen the situation but not to this extent. “Several hundreds of residents in Krishnamoorthy Nagar, Ezhil Nagar, Rajarathinam Nagar, Bharathi Nagar and Nethaji Nagar have been suffering due to the garbage dump. The odour emanating from the yard is unbearable and we have been trying to reach out to Corporation authorities for the last few days. One officer said they would look into it but nothing has been done,” he said. He added that at times, lorries dump the waste collected from the slaughterhouse at Pulianthope at midnight, and this worsened the stench.
“The stench is always there. Only that the rains have worsened it,” a resident of Ezhil Nagar added. Saradha, a resident of Korukkupet, who passes by the yard everyday, said she sensed that the foul odour had turned worse in the last few days while travelling in a share autorickshaw.
“Many of us are unable to step out of our homes in the last 10 days. The stench is causing a headache. The abnormal smell is giving a tough time for infants and children. Corporation officials do not answer our calls,” Raju, another resident said.
An official of the Corporation said they had received complaints from the residents on the issue. “This problem arises during the rains. We are attending to the complaint and are spraying bleaching powder as the leachate is causing stench,” he said.