Thoraipakkam residents complain of breathing issues due to landfill

CHENNAI: Irked by the unbearable stench for years, residents around the Perungudi dump yard have sent a representation to Chennai Corporation and public representatives to stop dumping garbage in the landfill.

In a petition to Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi, K Kalaiselvan, secretary of the Federation of Thoraipakkam Residents’ Welfare Associations, pointed out that about 2,500 tonnes of garbage including domestic waste, industrial waste, bio-medical waste and others are being dumped in the landfill every day.

He alleged that no rules on solid waste management were followed in the landfill. “Stench from the dump yard spreads up to 5 kilometres from the place. Due to this, residents in Vinayaka Nagar, Anand Nagar, MCN Nagar, Sri Sai Nagar, Perungudi, Seevaram and other areas are affected by respiratory diseases. Toxic gas released from sewage treatment plants located near the dump yard at midnight hours causes breathlessness,” he pointed out.

The petition added that the residents are living with the dangers of cancer and asthma and there is a chance of children being affected by growth-related and brain development issues.

A Francis, president of the federation, said groundwater in the locality has become highly polluted and the residents could not use it. “Several residents are buying water for daily use and some residents are using water supplied by Metro Water. None of the waste management norms including prevention of seepage is followed in Perungudi landfill,” he added.

Pointing out bio-mining works in the dump yard, Francis opined that carrying out bio-mining works without stopping daily dumping is meaningless. “The civic body should stop the dumping. Moreover, groundwater in the locality has turned red,” he said.

The letter urged the civic body to remove already dumped waste from Perungudi scientifically and ban dumping garbage in the area. It may be noted that bio-mining in Perungudi commenced in October 2021 to reclaim the land.