Polluting scrap dealers in city under the scanner

The Chennai Corporation, on Saturday, cracked down on scrap dealers who pollute residential neighbourhoods.

The revenue department of the Corporation locked and sealed six unauthorised commercial units in Guindy after residents complained.

“Many residents had expressed concerns about the pollution in their neighbourhoods caused by industrial and residential scrap dealers. Units in areas such as Narasingapuram 6th Street were sealed on Saturday. Work on identifying other such units is under way,” said an official of the Chennai Corporation.

The revenue department had issued notices to the dealers under the provisions of section 379(A) of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act. The traders were using the premises without valid licences from the Corporation commissioner as mandated by sections 287 and 288 of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act IV of 1919.

As the traders failed to comply with the notice within the stipulated 24-hour period, the civic body locked and sealed the premises on Saturday. The Corporation is empowered to take over the premises if traders fail to restore the affected areas to their original state.

Pudupet, Chintadripet and Guindy are some of the key areas where scrap dealers run units. But many residential neighbourhoods too have small units that conduct business and pollute the area.

Residents have been asked to call the corporation helpline 1913 to register complaints pertaining to pollution or road encroachments caused by such scrap dealers.

Extended city areas such as Madhavaram, Manali, Ambattur and Tiruvottiyur have a number of such traders who store industrial scrap in godowns. The units contribute towards recycling of waste material, retrieving iron, copper, plastic and other materials.

- Residents can call helpline 1913 to complain against scrap dealers

- Work on identifying polluting units in residential areas is under way