The Hindu : Southern suburbs offered site at Orathur for garbage dumping

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 18, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Southern suburbs offered site at Orathur for garbage dumping

By S. Shanker

CHENNAI Aug. 17. The hunt for a landfill site for dumping of garbage generated by the city's southern suburban municipalities appears to be coming to a close.

The three major municipalities— Tambaram, Pallavaram and Alandur— have been offered land at Orathur village, which is about 18 km from Tambaram on the Padappai-Kancheepuram Road. The three towns generate about 300 tonnes of garbage daily and the absence of proper disposal sites has hampered conservancy operations.

The Kancheepuram Collectorate has identified about 100 acres of the poromboke land in Sriperumbudur taluk for the purpose. Tambaram has been offered 40 acres, Pallavaram 25 acres and Alandur about 35 acres. However, the proposal will have to await the mandatory clearance of the Pollution Control Board. Sources hope that there may not be any hassle in getting the PCB's nod, given the remote location of the site. Once the clearance is given, the local bodies will be permitted to set-up facilities on the wasteland.

A few months ago, the Collectorate proposed another site near Naduveerapattu, but withdrew its offer, even before the Board could undertake inspection, because the site was found to be part of a catchment area.

The proposal to develop the 15-acre Alandur dumping yard with composting facilities to serve the three towns and nearby local bodies has been shelved. The Pollution Control Board objected to it citing its proximity to the Velacheri MRTS Station, the Pallikaranai marsh and also the impact it would have on groundwater in the locality.

The new site appears to meet the immediate needs of both the Tambaram and the Pallavaram municipalities, but it has not gone down well with Alandur. Alandur officials say Orathur was too distant for them and total transportation cost, including fuel and vehicle maintenance, would shoot up considerably.

The Alandur council, which had been clamouring for the Board's clearance for its existing dumping ground in Pallikarani, however appears to have reconciled itself to the fact that the project will never take off. It is now keen to obtain permission for a 25 acre site, close to Perumbakkam, which however may not get the nod of the panchayat, in whose limits it is located.

In the absence of proper disposal facilities, Alandur and Pallavaram municipalities are now using the Alandur dumping yard.

The Tambaram municipality, which considered the Alandur dumping ground too distant for transporting garbage, continues to overload its yard on Muduchur Road.

Officials say the Orathur site is by far better than the one proposed near Guduvancheri. Orathur is only a km away from the main road. In any case, it is nearer than the site near Guduvancheri.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Anna varsity to have grading system for affiliated colleges

Reservoirs receive one cm each

Affiliation rejection `discriminatory'

Aerobatics, skydiving steal the show

Be wary of cattle infection, Kanchi district cautioned

Police hunt for conman

Rally to promote road safety

Southern suburbs offered site at Orathur for garbage dumping