Mountain of waste at unused site irks Manali locals

CHENNAI: For the past two months, unprocessed waste is being dumped at the abandoned segregation site near the closed 10-tonne incineration plant in Chinna Mathur, Manali, according to residents. Workers of Chennai Enviro Solutions Private Limited, dump garbage at the site despite it being locked, and add to the pile of waste which has already existed there for over two years, locals alleged. The unprocessed waste, dumped over the locked sites compound wall, has left the locality reeking, sparking concerns regarding possible health hazards and the waste dump turning into breeding grounds for mosquitos and fruit flies. Adding to this, construction waste and bags of sand has also been dumped near incineration plant. However, after TNIE brought the issue to the attention of an official of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), a portion of the waste was cleared on Sunday. Ezhilarasi R (53), a long-time resident, said, Ive lived here for 30 years. This was used as a segregation site in 2023 before operations shifted to Manjambakkam and then became ward-specific. However, for the past two years, this abandoned site has been filled with mounds of garbage. Now, non-segregated waste from five to six wards is also being dumped here. As soon as the 13 bins in the area overflow, workers throw garbage on the ground or into the abandoned site, especially in the evenings, she said, adding that earlier, at least one vehicle would clear the waste, but no lorry has come in months. The site is turning into a secondary dump yard, she added. Meanwhile, residents also reported recent fire incidents, alleging that unidentified individuals have been burning garbage in the area, worsening pollution and further deteriorating the situation. Harish, another resident, said, On Thursday around 6.30 pm, when the waste pile was unusually large, it caught fire, and fire services arrived to douse the flames. Ezhil added that similar incidents have occurred two to three times already, but it is unclear who is burning the waste. Supervisors from Chennai Enviro Solutions said, The site was closed months ago, with waste already inside. It was expected that GCC tipper lorries would clear it, but the waste has not been removed till date. When asked why workers continue to dump garbage inside, they said that they were not aware of such instances. Speaking to TNIE, an official from the solid waste management department confirmed, After the issue was brought to our attention, the garbage was removed by the concessionaire today, but due to slushy conditions, machinery could not access some portions. Those areas will be cleared tomorrow.