The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Avadi objects to Ambattur dumping garbage in its backyard

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 20, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Avadi objects to Ambattur dumping garbage in its backyard

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, FEB. 19. The Avadi Municipality on Friday condemned dumping of garbage at Sekkadu by civic officials of Ambattur Municipality.

The issue has been simmering for about two months now, after Ambattur Municipality started dumping its civic waste at Sekkadu. The Avadi municipality also has land there for garbage disposal. The Ambattur municipality generates 100-150 tonnes of garbage every day.

The Avadi Municipality councillors alleged that garbage, including biomedical waste, was dumped daily and burned without source segregation.

At an urgent meeting, the ward 37 councillor, T. Durairaj, complained that the neighbouring local body dumped its waste in his ward. This would have a serious impact on the health of residents and also on Sekkadu Lake.

The ward 41 councillor, Abdul Hameed, said the municipality should have been consulted before. He noted that Ambattur local body acquired land at Kallikuppam for garbage disposal. But this site too was opposed by residents.

The ward 46 councillor, A. Prakash, said the Ambattur municipality transported its garbage to land located 15-km away. He alleged that Valasaravakkam municipality also dumped its garbage in the same area.

C. Gopalakrishnan, ward 11 councillor, cited the Supreme Court directive that all local bodies must segregate and compost the garbage. But, the Ambattur local body had not followed this directive.

The ward 26 member, M. Kumar, said the neighbouring municipality must have got sanction for compost yard from the Tiruvallur Collectorate and was misusing it. He urged the Avadi municipal officials to take legal action against the neighbouring municipality as they violated the norms of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.

Councillors also alleged that a complaint was lodged against an Avadi ward member who questioned the dumping.

Responding to the councillors' comments, the municipal chairman, S.M. Nazar, said the neighbouring local body generated almost double the garbage of Avadi municipality. Ambattur municipality had purchased 10 acres of land without the consent of the Avadi municipality and dumped the waste.

The Avadi municipality, which disposes its waste on its 8.34-acre property, has been unable to segregate waste and create compost yard due to this problem.

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