PERAMBALUR: Close to a year has passed since Perambalur municipality reclaimed its dump yard at Neduvasal after completion of bio-mining work taken up at a cost of Rs 3.18 crore but garbage continues to be dumped on the premises, say locals.
Worried that this would bring back issues like water and air pollution, they urge the civic body to put an immediate end to dumping garbage on reclaimed space.
Acting on demands, the municipality in 2019 handed over the contract for undertaking bio-mining at its 3.1-acre yard to a private firm. While the firm was supposed to clear 48,384 cubic metres of solid waste on the premises within a year, the project overshot its deadline by over three years before being completed in early 2023, official sources said.
The municipality, however, continues to dump garbage in reclaimed space and sets it afire too, complain locals. K Subramaniyan, a resident of Neduvasal, said, "Officials said that following the bio-mining project, garbage would make way for saplings, and that no more waste will be dumped at the yard.
Garbage, however, continues to be dumped on the premises every day, without ever clearing it, leading to its accumulation by the day.” “We do not even know if bio-mining has even been completed at the yard," he added. Pointing to a canal branching off River Marudaiyaru passing nearby, Subramaniyan said,
“In 2021, heavy rains led garbage in the yard to enter the river through the canal. This caused various problems, including water pollution. The situation is likely to recur." Another local, V Samson, said, "The continuous dumping of garbage gives away the authorities’ false promises.
They should clear the garbage and plant saplings without excuses. Otherwise, locals and the environment alike will suffer." When contacted, a municipality official told TNIE, "Since completion of bio-mining work, we have been transporting all biodegradable waste to the micro-composting centre and non-biodegradable waste to a private cement plant. At times, we dump garbage in the dump yard. It will be cleared soon."