Forest Department asks panchayat to shift dumpyard

The Coimbatore Forest Department has appealed in a letter to Somayampalayam panchayat to vacate the dumpyard, which is in close proximity to the forest area.

The issue came into spotlight after environmental activists raised concerns over the presence of napkin and mask among other plastic items in the elephant dung found on the Marudhamalai hill stretch.

“A letter has been issued to the Somayampalayam panchayat, Block Development Officer (BDO) and Assistant Director (AD) of Panchayats in Coimbatore district recommending relocation of the dumpyard elsewhere and away from the forest area,” said TK Ashok Kumar, District Forest Officer (DFO), Coimbatore Forest Division.

While the forest range officer had made the appeal to the panchayat and BDO, the DFO had raised the issue with the AD of Panchayats.

“Garbage has been dumped barely 70 metres from the forest area, where elephants and other wild animals frequent. Until the entire garbage is removed, the department has requested to fence the yard to prevent wild animals from feeding on them. Also, lighting arrangements should be done in the yard,” the DFO added.

Further, the Forest Department has sensitised shop keepers against using plastic carry bags and carried out a cleanliness drive along Marudhamalai hill stretch to gather around 200 kg of plastic waste littered by devotees.

Meanwhile, the Somayampalayam panchayat has fast paced the operation of its micro composting yard to bring down waste being dumped in the yard. “The micro composting yard set up at a cost of Rs 23 lakh has begun to compost up to one tonne of degradable waste on a trial basis. Gradually, the volume could be increased to a few more tonnes,” said Somayampalayam panchayat president KP Rangaraj “Once the composting yard begins to work in full capacity, then no waste would be going to the yard. Efforts have been taken to process the garbage at the yard and remove them entirely at the earliest,” he added.