Rubbish promises: Dump yard lures wild animals to foothills

Elephants and deers also make similar visits to the garbage dump spread over 2.5 acres to consume garbage dumped by the Somayampalayam panchayat over the last two years. Eyebrows were raised when members of the Coimbatore Wildlife Conservation Trust (CWCT) found a napkin and mask in a lump of elephant dung along the Marudamalai hill stretch on January 9. After the media glare, the panchayat authorities promised to remove garbage and put up a fence to prevent animals from entering the site.

“However, the word was not kept. Trucks make at least eight trips a day to dump garbage gathered from the panchayat with at least 40,000 people. The place where garbage is dumped is an ‘odai poramboke’, through which water flows during rains. The numerous spotting of dry elephant dung stands testimony to frequent elephant visits,” says P Shanmugasundaram, secretary of CWCT.

Thirty-five-year-old Annalakshmi, who collects plastic waste from the garbage mounds, says she avoids coming early or staying back afternoon to avoid any conflict with visiting jumbos.

She has a small statue of an elephant kept beneath a tree, where she segregates the gathered plastic in the company of another woman.

“I offer prayers to this idol to save us from ‘Periyavar’ (referring to elephants). Three weeks ago, Periyavar pulled down the photo of Lord Murugan hanging from the tree, but left its idol untouched,” she said.

Her husband who works at a nearby farm turns up every few hours to ensure that the women are safe. A forest staffer on routine patrol, preferring anonymity said the department has been making persistent demands to shift the dump yard. “The panchayat continues to drag its feet as they knew that the forest department can’t do much beyond writing letters. I had seen a herd of elephants rummaging through the garbage for food a month ago during evening hours,” he said. DFO TK Ashok Kumar had written to the panchayat in this regard.

N Umadevi, Assistant Director (AD) of Panchayats, Coimbatore said she will take up the issue with the Somayampalayam panchayat president. “I will seek removal of garbage and dumping site as soon as possible,” she said.

Tamil Nadu Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forests Supriya Sahu said the District Forest Officer (DFO), Coimbatore TK Ashok Kumar is taking up the issue again with District Collector GS Sameeran.

“The DFO informed me that the forest department has requested the panchayat and revenue department to relocate and fence around the dump yard, which is located just 70 metres from the reserve forest boundary at the foothills of Marudamalai. The DFO has also informed the Collector and requested to give instructions to officials concerned. The department will take up the matter again with the district collector,” she said.

The forest department has also carried out plastic removal campaigns at Marudamalai ghat road on 11 January, Kanuvai area on 13 January and at Vaidehi falls area on 22 January.