Smoke from dump yard chokes Kelambakkam, residents fume

According to the locals, the panchayat has been using a 100-acre vacant land, which belongs to the government, as a dump yard for the past two years. The Kelambakkam panchayat is located in the OMR near Thiruporur and consists of nine wards with a population of nearly 10,000. Jothi Nagar is one of the prominent neighbourhoods with a population of nearly 2,000 people.

Pointing out that the plot is located in a residential area, they have been requesting the panchayat to look for a new place to dump the garbage right from the beginning. Now the dump yard is often caching fire and the whole area is covered with smoke, they claim.

Rajesh from the locality said, “the smoke is entering our houses and the elderly people in the locality are suffering severe breathing problems. Many a time were have requested the officials to move the garbage to a different place but there was no proper response.”

The residents allege that used masks and hand gloves are also dumped there and they are afraid that it may trigger a virus upsurge. “The risk is very high since the place often catches fire. We have asked the officials to shift the dump yard to a different place or we will vacate the houses and move out of Kelambakkam,” said another resident.

When contacted, Kelambakkam panchayat secretary Kumarasammy said the local body is planning to shift the dump yard to Navalur or Thaiyur and work was on progress when the pandemic struck. “Arrangements will soon be made to shift the dump yard from the present site. Also, we are trying to identify those who are setting garbage on fire. Action will be taken against the culprits,” he said.