COIMBATORE: Opposing the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation's (CCMC) reported move to resume operations at a garbage transfer station near the foothills of Marudhamalai, residents have demanded that the facility be permanently shut down, citing potential threats to wildlife and public health.
Members of the Marudhamalai Residents' Welfare Association held a meeting on Sunday and decided to submit a representation to the district collector, urging authorities not to reopen the facility located near the reserve forest area, which falls within an elephant movement corridor.
The residents alleged that the civic body had violated norms by establishing the facility on an Open Space Reservation (OSR) site earmarked for a public park. They also questioned the decision to locate a waste-handling facility close to residential areas and the forest boundary, warning that it could affect both people and wildlife.
K Lakshmi Narashiman, president of the association, told TNIE that the transfer station was established in 2018-19 during the AIADMK regime. Following protests and objections from residents, the facility was temporarily closed in 2022-23, during the DMK period, he said.
"With a new government formed in the state under the TVK, corporation officials are now attempting to resume operations at the facility. We strongly oppose this move and demand its permanent closure," he said.
Residents and wildlife conservationists have also raised concerns over the possible impact of the facility on elephants and other animals frequenting the area. Activists pointed out that an elephant found dead in the locality a few months ago was reportedly found to have consumed plastic and other waste dumped near the forest boundary.
According to the residents' association, the forest boundary is around 560m from the transfer station. They fear that the accumulation of waste could attract wildlife towards human settlements, increasing the risk of encounters between elephants and people.
Residents have also flagged concerns over foul odour, possible water contamination and other environmental issues affecting nearby neighbourhoods. The association said it would seek the collector's intervention and urged the corporation to abandon plans to reopen the facility, calling for a solution that safeguards residents' welfare and the surrounding ecosystem.