DHARMAPURI: Nedumaran Nagar residents have urged the Dharmapuri municipality to improve solid waste management in their locality. Residents said that due to sewage released from commercial buildings in the municipality in their locality and the lack of solid waste management, groundwater in the area has been contaminated.
On Monday, residents arrived at the Dharmapuri collectorate with several bottles of contaminated water. They have levelled charges against the municipality for improper solid waste management, which has resulted in groundwater at Nedumaran Nagar in municipal limits becoming contaminated. Residents urged the administration to take steps to curb sewage flowing from commercial buildings in the municipality and protect their groundwater sources.
Speaking to TNIE, A Naveen from Nedurmaran Nagar said, "The commercial area along Dharmapuri-Salem road houses at least hundreds of businesses, and to improve solid waste management, the municipality completed phase 1 of the UGD project a decade ago.
However, recently, it has come to our attention that not all commercial buildings are linked with UGD lines. Many use septic tanks and soak pits, which are now leaking into groundwater. Our borewells are producing black and brown discoloured water. We need the municipality to take steps to improve solid waste management and prevent sewage seepage."
B Sumathi said, "Our children have been developing rashes and infections over the past year, and we had no idea it was being caused by sewage water. It was only recently that we learned about sewage seepage from commercial buildings. The municipality had been negligent in solid waste management, and over 150 families in Nedumaran Nagar are suffering."
When TNIE reached out to officials in the municipality, they were not available for comment.