The Hindu 29.03.2011
Firm continues dumping garbage at Kurumampet yard
Environment Department had warned the firm for flouting regulations
Despite orders from the Environment Department, garbage continues to be
dumped at the Kurumampet yard in Puducherry. — Photo: T.Singaravelou
The Puducherry Municipal Services Private Limited (PMSPL) continues to
dump garbage at the Kurumampet yard despite a notice from the
Environment Department warning “criminal action” against its Managing
Director for flouting regulations. The garbage was also being burnt,
posing serious health hazard to the people in the neighbourhood.
Students of the Rajiv Gandhi Government Veterinary
College, located right next to the yard, complained that the smoke from
the burning garbage engulfed their campus every day, resulting in
discomfort. This sometimes resulted in burning sensation in the chest
and the eyes, forcing them to shut doors and windows and remain inside
their classes, they said.
According to Secretary to Government (Environment) Theva
Neethi Dhas, after the Environment Department received petitions from
activists on the issue, a team of the Puducherry Pollution Control Board
visited the yard and collected evidence on garbage dumping. “Following
their report, a show-cause notice was issued to the Commissioner of the
Oulgaret Municipality, which was the owner of the land, and the Managing
Director of the PMSPL asking why criminal action should not be
initiated against them on this issue,” he said. Apart from the health
concerns for the people in the vicinity, the fact that the yard was
located near the Ossudu Lake, which was declared a bird sanctuary in
2008, has raised concerns about the effect of the smoke on the migratory
birds. Deputy Conservator of Forests Anil Kumar said that though the
Environment Department had asked for a clarification on whether the yard
fell under the Ossudu’s protected area, they were never informed about
the dumping. He said the smoke that arose from the yard would have
serious implications for the birds and would keep them away from the
lake.
Also, as the yard is located within five km of the
protected lake, it was mandatory for the Municipality as well as the
company to conduct an Environment Impact Assessment and a Public Hearing
before converting the land into an area for garbage segregation, said
Mr. Dhas. “We do not have information on whether they had approached the
Ministry of Environment and Forests for any clearance. However, the
process would take long time to complete as it involved a lot of
technicalities,” he said. When contacted, the PMSPL management said that
the matter was “sub-judice” and refused to comment, though the actual
litigation involved a dispute on the bid for the garbage collection and
not the question of dumping garbage at the Kurumampet site.