CHENNAI: Residents of Pozhichalur, a suburb behind Chennai airport, on Saturday protested against the panchayat dumping garbage in the public burial ground and along the Adyar River. They stopped three garbage trucks and didn’t let the drivers leave the spot. Eventually, police arrived and cleared crowd.
Kanagaraj Madheswaran, a local, said the panchayat has been dumping and burning garbage in the burial ground for the past year, and this was causing health issues for residents. “Many suffer complications due to the smoke from burning even toxic items,” he said.
Pozhichalur is a bustling area with residential layouts. The residents alleged the panchayat garbage trucks usually come at night when no one is present. Anandarajan, a resident, said that earlier, the panchayat used to dump garbage near the Adyar River and pollute the water.
“When we questioned them on why the waste was not segregated properly, they would just tell us to mind our own business,” he said. Various petitions have been sent to the Chengalpattu district administration but no action has been taken, Anandarajan further said. District administration officials said they will look into the issue. “We will ask panchayat to segregate and dispose garbage properly,” said an official.