CHENNAI: Residents of
Thalambur village on the southern fringes of Chennai urged the Chengalpet collector to ensure that the dump yard on a 50-cent plot is at least 200m farther from the eponymous lake as per
National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines.
Locals, who have grouped under the
Thalambur Residents Action Committee, submitted a petition last month in this regard to the collector and cited solid waste management rules, 2016, to drive home their demand.
The village is located around 2km off the East Coast Road and is near
Shollinganallur Special Economic Zone (
SEZ), which is one of the biggest in the country. The area is dotted with several gated communities, residents of which work in IT companies nearby.
Authorities allotted the 50-cent plot for the dump as it was moved from its earlier spot. It was fenced on the side facing Karanai roadside to prevent entry of private vehicles that dumped garbage there.
At the current location, rainwater could leach through the garbage at the yard thereby polluting the groundwater and causing harm to migratory birds that visit the spot, said N A Anbuvahini, a resident who is part of the committee.
Residents added that indiscriminate burning of the garbage is a major issue.
A senior official from the Chengalpet administration said collector Rahul Nadh is scheduled to visit Thalambur on Monday and would look into the issue.
Residents also brought up the indiscriminate sand mining in the location and nearby areas, which has enabled an easy pathway for garbage to drain into the lake. “We are worried that this would percolate into the groundwater and ultimately our drinking water would be contaminated,” Anbuvahini said.
Local panchayat officials were not responding to their petitions and complaints about sand mining, she said, adding, “There was no verification of the land done.”
Residents demanded segregation of waste and proper disposal techniques. A follow-up revealed that the agency contracted by the local body to help with these matters had not commenced the work and only their signature was taken to present before the NGT, Anbuvahini said.