TIRUCHY: While the stench from garbage pile-up and fires breaking out is not uncommon issues attributed to a dump yard, residents of Manapparai in the district complain of such hazards as arising from a dump that officials say is abandoned.
Even as sources point out the cause for neglect of the dump yard in Sevalur Road to the establishment of a micro composting centre (MCC) at Santhaipettai about four years ago, locals claim the uncleared waste as continuing to raise a stench. Echoing the concern, C Manickam, who resides near the dump yard, said, “After a downpour, the place becomes slushy and the leachate enters the streets along with rainwater, rendering the locality unapproachable till the rain settles.”
A worker in a rice mill near the dump yard also mentioned of trouble from rains. “The garbage invades the unit then due to which we are forced to close the doors every time." A Pandian, who runs a shop near the dump yard, recollected how it took more than a day to douse the flames after the uncleared garbage pile caught fire during the summer of 2017.
The smoke from the fire blinded commuters on the highway, leaving them at risk of suffering an accident, he added. Pointing to over 10 such fire episodes having occurred at the dump yard in the past five years, sources said the centre was set up with the promise of a bio-mining unit, which was reneged on, they added. While the municipality assured of steps after the fire incident in 2017, no steps have been taken till date, the public claimed.
Sources also claim the dump yard as continuing to function. When contacted, Manapparai Municipality Commissioner SN Siyamala said, "We have invited tenders to take up segregation of the waste and processing it. It will be finalised on August 22.”