The Salem-Kochi highway in Coimbatore has become a hotspot for medical waste disposal, with multiple dumping sites emerging along its stretch. These spots, notably at Ettimadai, Madukkarai, Malumichampatti, and L&T Bypass near the Vellalore dumpyard, witness an influx of waste, particularly from Kerala.
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Residents and waste management agencies in Coimbatore told The Hindu there were incidents of waste being clandestinely dumped by trucks from Kerala during the night. Much of the waste reportedly originated from a prominent healthcare products manufacturer in Kochi.
Among the discarded items were contraceptives, gloves, syringes, masks, plastic packaging, and product packages. Additionally, green and yellow bags containing bio-hazardous waste, including sanitary napkins, pads with excreta, syringes with used needles, broken glass, and used wipes, were found scattered across the sites.
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“We sort through the waste from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day and take items made of plastic and rubber such as packing materials. But of late, we are spotting multiple bags of bio-hazardous waste. Upon opening them, we see all kinds of unsanitary waste,” said Priya (name changed), a ragpicker working for a scrap dealer in Madukkarai.
Each of the four dumping spots currently harbours 70-100 tonnes of mixed waste, claim the ragpickers who frequent the dumping spots. While tracing the waste back to its source proves challenging, workers from an authorised waste collection agency in Coimbatore revealed that the bio-hazardous waste bags bear the name and tag of the polluter, including well-known hospitals in Kochi.
“Our job is to process recyclable waste only. We are not equipped to handle bio-hazardous waste, so we leave them behind. But no matter how much we clear, we have seen the pile of waste increase,” lamented a worker from the agency who did not want to be identified.
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Both, bio-hazardous and mixed waste, deemed unsuitable for segregation and processing by ragpickers and authorised waste management companies, are burnt overnight, resulting in smoke emissions along the highway. The residents have raised concerns over the air pollution caused by the burning waste.
“The smoke that arises from the waste burning pollutes the air. At night, we are forced to close all doors and windows. We have filed a petition with the Coimbatore Collectorate as well but no action has been taken,” said M. Eeshwaran, president of the Madukkarai Block Residents’ Committee.
District officials confirmed the recent incidents of waste being dumped by trucks from outside Tamil Nadu. “We noticed smoke chains along the highway last week and immediately doused the fire. The issue has been escalated to the Block Development Officer and Additional Director of Town Panchayats. Additionally, we have begun to monitor the area to catch waste dumpers from outside red-handed,” Coimbatore District Environment Engineer (DEE) R. Chandrashekhar told The Hindu.
Local panchayats within Coimbatore have also resorted to dumping waste along the highway. Malumichampatti panchayat, for instance, shifted its dumping site closer to the Eachanari-Chettipalayam Road near the highway. However, Palaniammal, the panchayat president, said, “We are in shortage of funds to build a waste processing unit within the panchayat. Unless a unit is set-up by officials, we are helpless.”
In response to mounting concerns, an official from the Coimbatore District Rural Development Agency said investigations into the waste dumping incidents have commenced. “We have received reports from the DEE and residents around the areas. Additionally, a few other spots have also been identified.” the official said.