TIRUPPUR: Tiruppur Corporation plans to increase the number of Micro Composting Centres (MCC) to reduce garbage dumping in stone quarries.
Sources said the district corporation has 60 wards. About 700 to 800 tonnes of garbage is collected daily from all the wards. Out of this, 160 tonnes of garbage are sent to MCC every day, and others are dumped in an abandoned stone quarry in Pongupalayam village. So, the locals and social activists are opposing this and blaming the corporation for it, which is leading to environmental issues.
R Sathish Kumar, state secretary of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Protection Association legal awareness wing, said, “The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has consistently ruled against unregulated waste dumping in abandoned quarries, emphasising environmental and health risks. In Pongupalayam, the locals depend heavily on groundwater through borewells for their daily needs, and waste being dumped in quarries can contaminate groundwater and exacerbate this crisis, making clean drinking water inaccessible.”
He added, “The eighth-century Thirumuruganatha Swamy Temple, located in Thirumurugan Poondi municipality near the quarry, is a significant cultural and spiritual site. Its sacred water bodies Shanmuga Theertham, Gana Theertham, and Brahma Theertham are at risk of contamination, which would amount to a grave desecration of this place and the Pongupalayam quarry is surrounded by agricultural lands that depend on groundwater and rainwater for irrigation. Dumping untreated municipal and industrial waste, including hazardous waste, will severely impact soil quality, water resources, and crop productivity, jeopardising the livelihoods of local farmers.”
“So the corporation administration revoke any orders permitting waste dumping in Pongupalayam quarry and halt all waste disposal activities. Dumping garbage in stone quarries should be completely stopped. Solid waste management norms and plastic waste management norms should be implemented immediately in Tiruppur. Otherwise, we will approach the court in this regard.”
S Ramamurthy, Corporation Commissioner told TNIE, “The Corporation wants to reduce dumping of garbage in stone quarries. We are checking out various ways for this and as part of it, we are planning to increase the number of MCC’s. There are 41 MCCs and to increase this, officials have been instructed to find locations where there is no public objection. Besides, a Bio-CNG plant has been sanctioned for Tiruppur to handle 200 metric tonnes of biodegradable waste daily. It will be operational in six months and we are now looking for a place to set it up.”