Several residents in Pozhichalur are facing hardship because of the dumping and burning of garbage in the locality.
Pozhichalur, located behind the Chennai Airport, has a lot of residential areas including Sudharma Layout, ECTV Nagar, Ranga Garden, Prem Nagar, and Commissioner Colony. Residents of these areas are faced with mounds of garbage being dumped in vacant plots along the Adyar river, causing inconvenience and health issues.
Varun Roy, a resident of Cowl Bazaar, said the residents in the locality are facing health issues because the garbage is being dumped regularly and also burnt, particularly during the night. The residents are unable to venture out because of a nauseating smell from burning of the garbage, he said.
The residents of the area ask why the Pozhichalur panchayat authorities are allowing garbage to be dumped near an important river, and said the garbage is also causing ground water pollution.
Moreover, motorists using the Pallavaram Road are affected by the smoke caused by the burning garbage. The Pallavaram Road is an important arterial road connecting several localities to the GST Road.
T. Yogesh, a resident of Pammal Sankara Nagar, said hundreds of motorists bound for Porur use the Pozhichalur Main Road and Pallavaram Road to escape from traffic on Kundrathur Main Road. The burning of garbage causes severe eye irritation and breathing problems to motorists regularly using the road, he said.
The residents in the locality have made several complaints to the Kancheepuram District Collector to take steps to stop the dumping of garbage.
A senior official of the Kancheepuram district said the officials of the Pozhichalur Panchayat have been directed to take steps to prevent dumping of garbage.
