COIMBATORE: Residents living in the vicinity of Vellalore dump yard have expressed shock and concern after discovering that meat waste collected from across the city is being buried in pits within the dump yard premises.
Locals fear this practice could severely affect groundwater quality and have appealed to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) for immediate inspection.
The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) currently disposes off its collected garbage at Vellalore dump yard, which has already raised concerns about environmental degradation.
In addition to general waste, meat waste is also handled at the same site. The city generates around 8 to 9 tonnes of meat waste daily, with the quantity increasing to nearly 20 tonnes on Sundays and other special occasions.
Earlier, a private firm used to manage this waste through a dedicated processing unit. However, due to improper waste management and persistent foul smell affecting areas within a 5-km radius, the corporation revoked the firm's contract. In the absence of a viable alternative, it has now come to light that meat waste is being buried in the dump yard.
Activists from Kurichi-Vellalore Pollution Prevention Committee have raised the alarm and submitted a formal complaint to the district engineer of the TNPCB. They stressed that dumping poultry waste underground could lead to severe groundwater contamination and urged for a joint inspection involving TNPCB and local environmental groups.
When inquired, a CCMC official acknowledged the situation and said that the CCMC stopped operating the earlier unit due to foul smell. The official revealed that currently, poultry waste collected across the city is being sent to processing units at Madurai and Mettupalayam in the district.
"The waste collected on Sundays and Mondays is much higher, compared to other days. Therefore, it cannot be stored or processed immediately. As a result, we had to bury it temporarily at the dump yard premises and only a single layer was disposed of, ensuring it doesn't affect groundwater. This was a temporary measure for just a week and all waste collected hereafter will be sent to authorised units for processing," the official added.