Residents against development project at Perungudi dump yard amid GCC's public stakeholders meet
The streets are stagnated with filthy water, and groundwater has been contaminated in the area which has not been used even for domestic purposes.
File photo of the Perungudi dump yard
CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to hold a public stakeholders meeting on Monday regarding the development of an eco-park at the Perungudi dump yard, however, residents of the southern parts of the city suggest to reclaim the land which would help to store excess rainwater and recharge groundwater level in the locality.
Almost after 30 years, the civic body commenced the biomining process in the Perungudi dump yard to reclaim the area. The project will help to reclaim the marshland and be less impactful for Chennai city. However, the residents are unhappy about converting the dump yard into an eco park which would again become a messy area and even the local body will not be maintained properly.
"Recently, we staged a protest against the project by the city corporation. The ongoing biomining process has been carried out in a snail-paced manner and leads to various environmental and health issues in the area. The groundwater has been polluted for a long time, and if the government converts the dumping ground into a park it would never make a difference for the residents," rued A Francis, a resident of Thuraipakkam.
Denizens raised complaints that after the biomining process commenced at the Perungudi dump yard.
The civic body continues to dump garbage even during the ongoing biomining process has been carried out. The streets are stagnated with filthy water, and groundwater has been contaminated in the area which has not been used even for domestic purposes.
"Since not everyone could afford to buy water from the metro water, some residents end up using the polluted water for the cattle. The residents are affected with various health issues especially diagnosed for cancer, asthma and many premature babies are born due to the surge in the pollution level in the area," said V Parthiban, Secretary of the Confederation of Shollinganallur Residents Association.
People urge the civic body to remove the legacy waste at the dump yard and reclaim the marshland. So, it would store adequate rainwater during the monsoon seasons and help to retrieve the contaminated groundwater in the area.
The public stakeholder meeting will be chaired by Mayor Priya Rajan along with senior authorities on Monday at GCC Ward 184 office campus in Perungudi.
The civic body requests the people to join and offer their opinions regarding the same.