The Deccan Chronicle 12.10.2010
SC panel member raps waste projectOct. 11: The solid waste management (SWM) facility proposed in Kuthambakkam located close to the Chembarambakkam lake is “extremely unsuitable and technically not viable,” said Ms Almitra Patel, a member of Supreme Court constituted committee on SWM.
She said this while taking part in a seminar on “People’s participation and urban environmental issues” held at IIT-Madras here. None of the officials, except a junior staffer of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has visited the site earmarked for developing a dumping yard to accommodate garbage generated from Ambattur, Valasaravakkam, Tiruverkadu, Poonamalee and Maduravoyal municipalities, she pointed out.
Reiterating that Ambattur’s SWM plan is flawed, Ms Patel added that official projection of the quantum of waste was also highly exaggerated. Municipality waste can be reduced to 30 per cent by keeping out silt and another 25 per cent by recycling all non-compostable wastes, she said. Waste generated in Ambattur would only require 1.5 acres for disposal and management, Ms Patel said, wondering if government officials would be prepared to live close to the proposed site.
Advising officials to consult Kuthambakkam farmers and dairymen on how they could benefit from city compost, Ms Patel quipped, “No one is interested in a low-cost permanent solution to end the garbage problem.”
Speaking at the seminar, Jayakumar, a farmer from Kuthambakkam said the public hearing conducted earlier was ‘farcical’ and only the civic officials were allowed to present their case and people were denied opportunity. Other speakers at the seminar, including city based social activist, Mr Nithyanand Jayaram, expressed fear over the garbage yard contaminating the Chembarambakkam lake.
Mr Ramkumar, an advocate who spoke on the legal aspects of SWM, said that the proposed garbage yard would further pollute the reservoir that is already facing serious threat from industries around.
