TIRUCHY: The two-kilometre stretch in Somarasampettai on the city outskirts extending from MGR statue to Vayalur Road is flanked by the Uyyakondan canal on the left and agricultural fields on the right. This stretch of the canal, however, has become infamous as a spot for dumping waste, especially from meat shops and marriage halls.
The waste, mostly coming from the meat shops that line the streets of Somarasampettai has been polluting the canal and causing harm to the birds, say activists. The meat shops at Somarasampettai are popular and command a loyal customer base who come all the way from Tiruchy City to get quality meat at economical prices.
"We get around 3,000 customers on Sundays and anywhere between 500 and 1,000 on other days. One can get the best quality mutton for as low as Rs 700 per kilo, whereas in the city it costs a lot more," said a meat shop owner from the place. But with no dedicated spot to dump the remains, the waste from most of these shops ends up in the Uyyakondan canal.
MR Murugan, a resident of the area and Manikandam union secretary of the CPI remarked, "Every morning, fresh fish caught from the Uyyakondan canal lands up at the meat shops since there's good demand for it. However, the area is yet to have a dedicated facility for dumping the waste from these shops. We also need dedicated people to collect waste on a daily basis." Vayalur N Rajendran, a farmer leader said, "It has become a common sight to see birds eat the meat waste and dying of it after some time. The panchayat should fine meat shops for polluting the canal."
When contacted, panchayat president A Duraipandi said, "We have advised meat shops several times not to dump wastes in the Uyyakondan, yet they are continuing to do so. We collect waste every day, but our workforce is limited, and we don't have a proper place to dump all this waste. Only when our panchayat comes under the Tiruchy corporation limits will the issue be resolved."
An official from the rural development department said, "We will try reasoning with meat shop owners about dumping waste. If things don't work out, fining them is the only option."