N Chennai residents form human chain to protest WTE project
Chennai: Residents of North Chennai, joined by local councillors, formed a human chain at Kodungaiyur on Sunday, urging the govt to scrap the proposed Waste-to-Energy (WTE) project at Kodungaiyur dumping ground.
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They demanded that the reclaimed 352acres of landfill be converted into a park, playground, or college to benefit the community.
Support for the campaign grew stronger with political parties such as AIADMK and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) backing the protest. AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami said residents were already struggling with health issues such as respiratory and skin problems and announced a protest at Kodungaiyur on June 2.
NTK leader Seeman called the project an "environmental disaster" aimed at working-class neighbourhoods, warning it would release toxic gases and worsen pollution levels.
Hundreds participated in Sunday's protest, raising concerns over the project's impact on public health and the environment in North Chennai. The human chain stretched nearly four kilometres — from Ezhil Nagar at Kodungaiyur to Ambedkar College at Vyasarpadi.
"Despite repeated objections, steps are being taken to install the incinerator. We visited the WTE plant in Hyderabad and saw firsthand how residents there are suffering from health problems. We fear a similar outcome here," said T K Shanmugam, president of the Federation of North Chennai Residents' Welfare Associations.
Congress councillor J Dilli Babu (ward 37) said residents near the dumpyard have suffered for more than four decades. "The civic body claims the plant will be built with safety measures, but there's no assurance of complete safety for residents. We urge GCC to shift the WTE plant to the outskirts," he added.
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