The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Concern over dumping of construction rubble in Perungalathur lake

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 31, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Concern over dumping of construction rubble in Perungalathur lake

K. Manikandan

Authorities claim the move is only to ensure access to houses during monsoon

CAUSING CONCERN: Construction rubble dumped near the Perungalathur lake. — Photo: A. Muralitharan

TAMBARAM : The dumping of construction rubble on a sprawling lake in Perungalathur near here has raised concerns among activists even as the panchayat authorities and those living near the waterbody claim that the measure is meant only to ensure access to houses during monsoon.

A Bangalore-based firm is constructing an integrated information technology park with malls and residential complexes besides other amenities in Perungalathur adjacent to the Grand Southern Trunk Road, on the site where Standard Motors' factory once functioned.

It had purchased the property spread over a little more than 57 acres, and started construction work a few months ago. Demolition of old structures and scooping out the soil to lay foundation for new buildings have been going on simultaneously. The contract for disposing of scooped-out soil and construction rubble has been given to a private agency. For the past week, rubble was being dumped inside the Perungalathur lake and also on its fringes, causing resentment among a section of residents and activists in `Pazhaya' (old) Perungalathur.

Office-bearers of a civic group said the lake was a precious waterbody for the residents of Peerkankaranai, Perungalathur and Mudichur. Dumping of the debris into the waterbody was illegal and officials should urgently intervene, they said.

Representatives of the company said they had handed over the task of disposing of the rubble to an agency and they were not aware how it was being disposed of. Authorities of Perungalathur town panchayat said there were close to 200 families in areas adjoining the lake and living on land allotted to them by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board.

As they were staying close to the lake, access to their houses was cut off during monsoon, when the roads were submerged.

The house owners, with the consent of the local body, had taken the initiative to purchase rubble for forming roads, they said.

Authorities conceded that some amount of rubble went into the lake as it was natural for heaps of rubble to "slide into the water."

Civic group members said they never opposed formation of approach roads to houses.

But it should not lead to the waterbody being used as a dumping ground, they said.

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