CHENNAI: Raising concerns of health hazards and air pollution, residents living around Perungudi dumping yard have requested the GCC to drop the waste-to-energy plant, which was proposed in the dumping yard.
As per the proposal, the civic body will construct the plant inside the dumping yard after completing the land reclamation through bio-mining project.
“We came to know that the GCC had decided to implement integrated waste management plants in Perungudi dumping yard. Solid waste including plastic waste, industrial and bio-medical waste would be incinerated to produce energy from waste,” K Kalai Selvan, secretary of Federation of Thoraipakkam Residents Welfare Associations, said in a representation to GCC Commissioner J Radhakrishnan.
The representation warned that incinerating waste will release toxic gases, chemical waste and particulate matter that would pollute the air, water and food items. Residents would be affected by various diseases like asthma, respiratory illness, cancer, heart diseases, many neurological ailments and others.
“Incidences of pre-term and under-weight babies will increase due to pollution. Residents are already facing several health issues due to the existing dumping yard. All layouts and multi-storeyed buildings in Perungudi, Thoraipakkam, Madipakkam and Pallikaranai are built after availing permission from Chennai Metropolitan Development
ity (CMDA). What will happen to the schools, commercial establishments, IT firms and hospitals are functioning in the area with government permission?” he pointed out.
A Francis, president of the Federation, added: “Waste processing plants are allowed only outside the city limits where there is no residential development. But in Chennai, dumping yards and incinerators are established in the middle of residential areas.” The federation urged the civic body to reclaim the Perungudi dumping yard and drop waste-to-energy plant project.
It may be noted that the civic body opened an incinerator plant in Manali in 2019. Various studies had pointed out higher pollution levels in the area after that.