Chennai: Tonnes of plastic, meat waste and household refuse are being dumped and burnt at the Kolathuvanchery water body near Iyyappanthangal Metro station, exposing thousands of residents to toxic smoke and causing health issues.Kolathuvanchery, a village panchayat near Iyyappanthangal in Kancheepuram district, has witnessed rapid urbanisation over the past five years, and now houses about 20,000 families. But civic infrastructure has failed to keep pace with this growth, say locals. While residential developments take priority, there is no designated space for waste disposal, leading to the dumping of about 100 tonnes of waste each day.Residents say that panchayat officials have reduced the frequency of door-to-door garbage collection over the past few years — from once a day, to once or twice a week. As a result, garbage piles up along roadsides, and overflow into the water body. The accumulated waste is burnt almost every day, filling the neighbourhood with thick, foul-smelling smoke, causing breathing difficulties.Holding her 2-year-old child, Meena, who lives about 200m from the dumpyard, said the constant burning of plastic waste has affected the health of several residents. “My toddler fell sick because of the smoke. Panchayat officials never visit our area, and their contact numbers are always switched off. About six months ago, more than 100 residents signed a petition seeking removal of the dumpyard and submitted it to our councillor. No action has been taken; the problem has only become worse,” she said.M Raghu, of Iyyappanthangal, an advocate, said district officials inspected the area in 2021 and assured residents that the garbage would be cleared and transported to the Appur landfill for biomining as part of a water body restoration plan. “Five years later, the quantity of garbage has only doubled. We have submitted several petitions to the panchayat and district administration over the years, but no permanent solution has been implemented,” he said.Kancheepuram district collector, D Sneha said, “The place will be inspected, and necessary action will be taken to remove the garbage.”
