TIRUCHY: Alleging caste and politics at play, the woman panchayat president of Krishnasamuthiram in the district has been unsuccessfully attempting to draw the attention of the powers-that-be to the various risks that residents are subject to from the lack of a solid waste management (SWM) system in the villages under it.
Even as issues like water scarcity abound in the eight villages falling under Krishnasamthiram panchayat of Thiruverumbur union, a lack of SWM system in place is making residents to mindlessly dump garbage by the roadside and in waterbodies. Riding on the promise of changing the plight that one can observe right from the entrance to the panchayat, S Ramya (36) of Ezhil Nagar contested the local body election as an Independent and was elected panchayat president in January 2020.
Keeping her campaign promise, she worked towards securing an allocation of Rs 25 lakh for implementation of an SWM system in the panchayat. Help also came in the way of a pilot project by the National Institute of Technology here (NIT-T) wherein a biodigester was proposed to be set up in the panchayat at a cost Rs 1.54 crore to process waste. A section of residents, however, opposed the project expressing concerns and moved the Madras High Court in 2021.
The court, however, dismissed the case the next year by ruling in favour of the panchayat. Following this, Ramya resumed efforts towards introducing an SWM system in the panchayat by securing also the approval of the district administration in February 2023. Accordingly, a plastic shredding machine worth Rs 7.94 lakh was allotted for the project. Later, in June 2023, three pits were dug in the panchayat towards waste segregation.
Members of political parties along with locals, however, soon stalled the project, Ramya said. Since then Ramya has tried to draw the government’s attention to the issue. She also mentions having taken it up with Minister for School Education and Thiruverumbur MLA Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi , who had visited the panchayat for a programme on Wednesday. Ramya told TNIE, “Two months ago, the state government introduced an amendment to the TN Panchayats Act for making solid waste management mandatory in panchayats. However, it is the supporters of the same government who prevent such a system from being implemented here. Thinking that the garbage disposed of will dissolve, villagers dump it in waterbodies. If this is not prevented it will lead to problems in the future.”
“I made an election promise to make the panchayat tidy and green. But caste and politics prevent me here from doing this. Some fear I will earn a good name among the masses (once an SWM system is in place). Had I belonged to a different caste I would have been allowed to implement the project,” added Ramya, who hails from the SC community.
A villager who was enquired of his opposition to an SWM system said, “If the project is implemented, garbage will be taken only through our area. As a result, our area will turn a dump yard and mosquitoes will begin to breed here.” When contacted, District Collector M Pradeep Kumar told TNIE, “There are two separate views [to SWM system] in the panchayat. A few people are against it as they do not want any part of its installation in their area. We will keep looking for a suitable place.”
Despite attempts, neither Minister for Rural Development, Rural Development Panchayats And Panchayat Union I Periyasamy nor Minister Poyyamozhi could be reached for comment.