MADURAI: More than 300 tonnes of waste materials, including old papers, soiled paper bags, boxes and construction debris, have been cleared from the Aavin production plant on Sivagangai Road in Madurai. The waste had been dumped in a vacant area behind the dairy plant for several years.
Speaking to TNIE, a top Aavin official (Madurai) said the area had accumulated large quantities of non-industrial waste over the years, including old papers, paper cups, bags, boxes, construction debris and dry leaves.
“Forty workers, assisted by two JCB vehicles, loaded the waste onto trucks. Over five days, 150 truckloads were cleared,” the official said.
The official added that the vacant area covered around 40 acres, making thorough cleaning necessary. The materials were not industrial, plastic, or chemical waste and were transported to a waste dumping yard at Vellakal near Madurai city.
An Aavin staff member said the dairy plant employs more than 200 people, but employees rarely ventured into the area behind the plant due to the unpleasant odour caused by the accumulated debris and waste paper.
“Despite several General Managers being assigned to the Madurai division, no action was taken for a long time. We are now relieved that the entire area has been cleaned,” the staff member said.
CITU-TN Cooperative Department Employees Union (Madurai) secretary R Lenin welcomed the move and said, “For the past 10 years, we have been complaining about the waste behind the dairy plant. We are relieved that it has finally been removed.”