COIMBATORE: A residential area in Somayampalayam village panchayat limits has turned into a dump yard, with residents alleging that the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has failed to manage solid waste despite an MoU signed last year.
After repeated demands to curb open dumping which attracts wild animals, the village panchayat entered into an MoU with the CCMC in mid-2025. Under the deal, it was said that the panchayat pays `9 lakh per month to the corporation to handle its waste.
It was announced that around 12 tonnes of waste would be collected daily from Somayampalayam. The initiative was projected as a first-of-its-kind model where a corporation assists a village panchayat with waste management.
As part of the process, a waste segregation point was set up at a residential location near Vadavalli police station. Residents said the corporation had assured them that waste would be cleared daily.
"But against their assurance, they dump waste at the site, causing severe air pollution and health risks," residents alleged. The residents' association has flagged the issue with the district administration and the TNPCB, seeking intervention to stop dumping.
"The dumped garbage is causing a nauseating stench in our area and nearby residential areas. Residents suffer throat irritation, respiratory problems, and other health disorders among children and adults. Mosquitoes, flies, and rats are breeding here. There is a danger of diseases spreading," said P Prem Kumar, a resident of Somayampalayam.
Earlier, the dumpsite for the village panchayat was at Marudhamalai foothills. It was closed after it triggered wildlife issues. With the panchayat struggling to manage waste, the work was handed over to the CCMC. "Now the corporation has set up another dump site inside a residential location and has made the situation more complicated than before," Prem Kumar added.
A senior official from the panchayat and rural development department said that they are attending to all public issues in an immediate manner, and the issue will be addressed immediately.