Uthiramerur residents suffer as tipplers turn farmland into dump yard

The residents of Mallikapuram village, near Uthiramerur, said there were two Tasmac outlets and allied liquor outlets in the locality. People who drank from these outlets were the ones who mostly dumped wastes here, residents said.

Farmers were bearing the brunt of the act. They said the presence of garbage, especially plastic wastes, had a direct bearing on their livelihood as the cultivable land was getting polluted. “When we ask tipplers to desist from using the farmlands as litter grounds, we are threatened,” said R Kumar, a resident of Mallikapuram village. “The officials concerned have taken no action even after several complaints. Women of the locality find it difficult to go to the farm to water the field due to this,” he added. Uthiramerur Panchayat Executive Officer S Kesavan said, “One of the Tasmac outlets which was functioning near the bus stop was shifted here recently. Since there is no bar attached to the government outlet, customers use the agricultural lands in the area to consume alcohol. We have issued a notice to both the outlets and have also warned the public against dumping waste on the farmlands. We have also asked the police to take action in case of violation.”

He said the panchayat was clearing the waste twice a week now and a plan was in place to clear it daily.