Village not a dump yard, remove garbage disposal units, says Vengadamangalam residents

CHENNAI: Residents of Vengadamangalam do not want the new garbage disposal units to be set up in their village as their area was already reeling from the dump yard.

They pointed out that a 50-acre government property was being used as a dump yard in their village, which has led to several health issues among the residents.

The Vengadamangalam village is situated near Kandigai and comes under the Chengalpattu district. There are more than 4,000 families in the village. “Our village is becoming a dumping yard, our groundwater is polluted, air gets polluted, and children here are suffering from various diseases,” lamented Sivaraman, a long-time resident. “Even the land value is becoming too low, as people are hesitant to purchase any property near the dump yard.”

Residents said that water in Agaram Lake (located close to the dump yard) had turned black and is unusable. They also checked the air quality in the village and found it was severely polluted and not suitable for living. Many residents have started to leave the village due to the dump yard, leaving the real estate market stagnant.

Vishwanathan, an activist from Chitlapakkam, said that setting up an incinerator without proper maintenance would be highly risky. “In 2020 a mini incinerator was set up in Chitlapakkam and we protested and removed it. If the incinerator is being set up, the pollution control board should check if all procedures have been followed and ensure the ashes are also disposed of every day,” he opined.

Kalyani Ravi, president, Vengadamangalam panchayat, said they have been protesting for years to move the dump yard from the village. “We’ll not allow the Corporation to set up any plants here. It’s difficult to walk on the streets without wearing a mask or covering your nose, due to the foul smell from the dump yard. The government should move the dump yard elsewhere and utilise the land for some other purpose,” he stated.