CHENNAI: Biomedical waste and expired medicines dumped almost a week ago along the bunds of the Thiruneermalai Lake in a Chennai suburb have still not been removed by officials despite repeated complaints.
In recent times, disposing of biomedical waste in the open is being reported often in the suburbs of Chennai, posing much worry among residents as the medicines and syringes could be used by quacks or
cause health issues to animals nibbling at the garbage.
Activist Pughalvendhan V, who spotted the biomedical waste on Monday, raised a complaint to the Chief Minister's Cell and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on the same day.
"I received a reply saying the issue has been transferred to the Thiruneermalai Panchayat and they would rectify it. But they have not done anything," said Pughalvendhan.
He alleged that the panchayat themselves were disposing of the waste along the service road there, near the lake. "The local people here say they spot panchayat trucks that dispose of waste here," he added.
The Thiruneermalai Lake is one of the major sources of water for farmers living in the panchayat.
Residents say the lake has been severely polluted already due to effluent discharge from nearby chemical factories and now such dumping of medical waste will not help the restoration work.
Most of the waste found in the lake were expired medicine, tonics and tablets.
Pughalvendhan said that the spot where the waste has been dumped is hardly a kilometre away from the panchayat office but it has not met the eye of officials.
When contacted by The New Indian Express, officials in the panchayat said they had not received directions from the TNPCB yet and would act soon on the issue.