CHENNAI: The proposal to develop an eco park in Perungudi dumpyard has met with severe opposition from residents. Taking part in a public hearing on Monday, people raised several questions over the proposal put forward by the Chennai corporation.
The corporation is currently undertaking biomining works at the landfill to clear the legacy wastes. Around 100 acres of land is projected to be recovered through the process and the corporation proposes to construct an eco park on the recovered land.
The civic body had originally organised the public hearing under the chairmanship of Chennai Mayor R Priya along with south Chennai MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian and Corporation Commissioner J Radhakrishnan.
However, the three of them did not make it to the meeting on Monday. The hearing was held under the chairmanship of Joint Commissioner Health Shankar Lal Kumawat in the presence of Sholinganallur MLA Aravind Ramesh and Perungudi zone Chairman SV Ravichandran.
People questioned them about the absence of the mayor, the MP and senior officials.
The eco park has been proposed on 93 acres with ponds at a cost of `99 crore. A presentation was made to the public by the consultants deployed to prepare a detailed project report. Following the presentation, the public opposed the proposal alleging that the dumpyard itself is in the marshland.
Ravichandran told the people, “The park is not encroaching upon the marshland. It is part of the larger plan to reclaim the marshland to its original glory.”
However, Babu, environment auditor and member of Besant Nagar Residents Welfare Association, alleged that a park might change the topography of the site. “The proposal itself is a wrong nomenclature. We expected inputs from ecological experts but architects are doing the presentation,” he added. Participants also alleged that the proposed park would alter the nature of the wetland. “We have no clarity from officials on how the park will help in reviving the marshlands. Government should maintain the marshland, which is a Ramsar site as per its standards,” said S Mohan, president of the Environment Awareness and Protection Association.
When most of the public inputs went against the eco park, Aravind Ramesh intervened and sought for inputs in favour of the proposal if there were any. However, no one responded in favour.