CHENNAI: The Chennai circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has issued a notice to a panchayat that has defaced a megalithic site at Perumbakkam. Superintending Archeologist M Kalimuthu told TNIE the panchayat was told to immediately stop dumping waste at the site. “We will monitor the situation. If we find any further violation, we will file a police compliant.”
P Rajesh, who runs a workshop near the site, said the dumping continued on Saturday morning. “I saw a tractor-load of waste brought in and dumped, while another truckload was removed. It stinks.”Meanwhile, D Vasudevan, district environmental engineer, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, visited the site and submitted a fact-finding report. Sources said the TNPCB member secretary too will issue a show-cause notice to the panchayat.
The panchayat secretary reportedly told TNPCB the site was a government poramboke land, and for a month, it has been used as a transit point to segregate solid waste to the Kolathur landfill. The secretary also claimed the panchayat obtained permission from the district administration.Sources said the Perumbakkam block development officer was told to stop the dumping. “The panchayat should ensure 100% collection and segregation of solid waste at source, and the panchayat was directed to obtain consent for a micro-composting unit,” a source said.