CHENNAI: In a key milestone for relentless resident activism, authorities have started clearing the Chitlapakkam dump yard, as the first step towards reclaiming the Chitlapakkam lake. “Work was supposed to begin over the weekend. Because of the rains, the officials postponed the work and it began on Wednesday morning,” said Sunil Jayaram, a Chitlapakkam resident.
“We have been fighting for this for almost two years now. We are glad that it is finally being cleared,” he said. The residents recently staged a candlelight vigil to reclaim the lake, along which the dump yard is situated. Over the two years that they have been fighting for the Chitlapakkam lake restoration, the residents have held many plays, protests and vigils to create awareness among the public on the importance of the waterbody, apart from forcing various government departments to act.
According to panchayat officials, the entire waste will be cleared in 15 days, with a minimum of ten trucks transporting waste from the site every day. The area where the waste is being dumped will be converted to a scientific landfill, the official said. However, while there are unofficial accounts of where the waste is now being transferred to, the official did not disclose details.
On the project cost, the official said, “We are yet to work out what it will cost to convert the area into a scientific landfill. We’ll do it once the total waste is weighed at the end of the transportation.” “To transport three metric tonnes over a distance of one kilometre will cost Rs 45. Based on this, we will come to an estimated cost once we finish clearing the entire dumpyard,” he said.
With the garbage out of the way, residents are now looking at the next course of action. “The authorities have promised that they will desilt the lake next,” said K Govindaraj, another resident. The move to clear garbage also comes as a huge relief to a government school located near the dump yard. “After the garbage is cleared, we will be looking to plug sewage inlets and desilt the lake,” said Sunil.