DHARMAPURI: Thokkampatti residents denounced the illegal dumping of medical wastes in the lake outside their village. They urged the district administration to take stern action against clinics or hospitals illegally dumping medical wastes near residential areas.
The village, a part of Nallampalli taluk, is home to over 100 families who’s primary occupation is animal husbandry and daily wage labour. A few days ago, while grazing their cattle near the local lake, a few villagers spotted two bags full of medical waste, including used syringes, saline bottles and bandages, dumped here. Residents have urged the administration to take steps to identify the clinic or hospital responsible and take necessary steps.
Speaking to TNIE, D Dhandapani, a resident said, “We are unsure when it was dumped here or by whom. We graze our cattle here and children often walk by the lake, making such dumping a potential health hazard. So we urge the administration to ensure that such dumping does not occur.”
Another resident K Sugumaran said, “The waste probably came from some clinic or hospital in the area. We urge the health department to conduct a detailed investigation and request the block development officer to take steps to clean up the waste.”
When TNIE spoke to health department officials, they said, “We will look into the matter seriously as it is illegal to dump biomedical waste.”