CHENNAI: A collective of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in Perungudi and neighbouring areas has submitted a representation to Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Additional Chief Secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS), and to Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Commissioner GS Sameeran, urging the GCC to speed up the bio-mining work at the Perungudi dumpyard and complete the reclamation of legacy waste across 225 acres.
Residents pointed out that the biomining works began in October 2021 and were supposed to be completed by 2024. Even two years after the deadline, the work is still underway.
The associations have also asked the GCC to stop dumping waste at the yard, which affects the Pallikaranai Marsh, and to clear the existing accumulation of legacy waste. Several RWAs in Anand Nagar, Vinayaga Nagar, MCN Nagar and the Thoraipakkam Industrial Estate highlighted a perennial problem: during the rainy season, mosquito menace, groundwater contamination and environmental degradation worsen, and the stench becomes unbearable. It also affects the public health of residents in Thoraipakkam, Perungudi and Pallikaranai.
A GO has been issued to reclaim the remaining waste, with work expected to begin by March 2027. Work is also under way to set up a 100 MT windrow composting plant at Perungudi. After the legacy waste is cleared, fresh waste will be processed- A senior Corporation official
They added that the height of the fresh waste at the dumpyard has risen above 50 feet. They have requested the GCC to take immediate action and arrange for the removal and proper disposal of the waste already dumped, which directly affects the lives of residents in and around these areas.
A Francis, president, Federation of Thoraipakkam Residents Welfare Associations (FOTRWA), told DT Next, “The biomining work is progressing at a snail’s pace. Although it was expected to be completed by 2024, only 100 acres have been reclaimed so far. Residents are at risk of many diseases and health complications. The GCC must immediately stop dumping garbage and close the dump yard.”
G Shanthakumari, chairperson, Standing Committee on Health, said that she had asked officials to submit a report on how groundwater was being contaminated by the accumulation of legacy and fresh waste. “I had also asked the Commissioner to fix the CCTV cameras to monitor inbound and outbound vehicles. The GCC should take steps to reduce or stop the accumulation of fresh waste,” she added.
A senior official of the Corporation said that 110 acres of land have been reclaimed at the Perungudi dumpyard in two phases, and that the ongoing work on 32 acres is expected to be completed by May 2027. “A GO has been issued to reclaim the remaining waste, with work expected to begin by March 2027. Work is also under way to set up a 100 MT windrow composting plant at Perungudi. After the legacy waste is cleared, fresh waste will be processed,” he clarified.