CHENNAI: Weeks after Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) officials visited the waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Jawahar Nagar, Hyderabad, ahead of implementing a similar facility in Kodungaiyur, a separate delegation comprising members of the Federation of North Chennai Residents Welfare Association (FNCRWA), GCC Councillor R Jayaraman and Chennai CFA and CAG, visited areas affected by the Hyderabad plant near Jawahar Nagar and reported alarming health and environmental consequences.
The delegation found that residents of marginalised communities in Karmika Nagar, YSR Nagar, Gabbilalpet, Shanti Nagar, and nearby areas suffered from health issues such as respiratory ailments, skin diseases, elephantiasis, infertility and eye problems. Residents living even 1 km from the plant complained of nauseating odour, with families apparently spending over Rs 5,000 a month on treatment for pollution-related illnesses.
“Children have stopped playing outside. Their right to a healthy life has been stolen,” said Prasanth J from Chennai Climate Action Group. He added that while GCC officials visit waste-to-energy plants in other states, they are overlooking the crucial step of engaging with affected residents to understand real impact.
Jayaraman, who was part of this team said, “During the visit, they didn’t take us through residential area. The disparity between official visits and ground reality is staggering. There is a place called Karmika Nagar just next to the plant’s compound wall, where the residents were found with several pollution-related diseases. We were not able to stand there for long hours as our skin experienced irritation,” he said.
A release said nearly 18 waterbodies are highly affected by contamination from the dump yard and plant. “Groundwater, which was once used for drinking purposes, has now become unusable,” said FNCRWA president T K Shanmugam.
The delegation urged the GCC to scrap the Chennai waste-to-energy plant proposal and adopt alternative zero-waste solutions.
Telangana Pollution Control Board found the company -- also slated to operate the waste-to-energy plant in Chennai -- violated SWM Rules, 2016, by failing to monitor hazardous emissions from incinerator stack like HCL, HF, CO, Cd+, HG and others, since plant’s commissioning in 2020, a release said.