Residents of Thoraipakkam are complaining of an intolerable stench from the Perungudi dump yard because of biomining activities. This, they say, has increased particularly more after the recent rain.
A. Francis, president of the Federation of Thoraipakkam Residential Welfare Associations, said that residential areas skirting the dump yard were the most affected. “Every year during the rain, we have to bear with the stench. Insects keep flying into our homes. Many of us bought homes at premium rates unaware of the dump yard nearby.”
K. Kalaiselvan, another office-bearer of the federation, said that the dump yard must be moved from Perungudi. It has led to the ground water being spoilt. “The water is reddish and many of us get it in our borewells, making it unusable,” he said. Residents have planned to stage agitations stressing their demand.
Wilson, who lives right next to the yard, said that of late the stench had become unbearable and on some days it was not possible to even have food at home. Motorists taking the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road suffer as around 1 km of the road runs along the dump yard.
“We have lived in the area for over 20 years now and hence we cannot leave it. We can only hope that the corporation finishes biomining work quickly,” he said.
