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The Hindu
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
CPI(M) stages protest demanding closure of Ariyamangalam dump yard in Tiruchi
Members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a road blockade protest at the Ariyamangalam dump yard in Tiruchi on Friday, demanding its closure. The garbage dump was an environmental hazard, they contended. 'For the past 30 years, a large quantum of waste collected daily from all 65 wards of the Tiruchi City Corporation have been dumped across 47.7 acres in Ariyamangalam. Over time, this led to several lakh tonnes of garbage piling up into mounds of nearly 40 feet high. Residents of surrounding areas have long raised concerns over groundwater contamination, toxic air, odour, and the spread of vector-borne diseases. Frequent fire outbreaks at the site have caused severe breathing issues, forcing some residents to vacate their homes.' said R. Raja, CPI(M) district committee member. 'In response to public outcry, the previous AIADMK government launched a ₹49.98-crore bio mining project. The DMK government later allocated an additional ₹23 crore in 2021, bringing the total to ₹73 crore. Officials claimed that around 50% of the waste has been cleared. However, the process has been stalled over the past year, leaving a big heap of garbage,' added The protesters urged the government to investigate the delay . The protest was led by CPI(M)'s Ariyamangalam, Ukkadai, and Kattur-Palakkarai area committees. District secretary Govi Vetri Selvan led the protesters into the dump yard with some briefly surrounding an earth mover operating there raising slogans against the Corporation. The protesters left the site at the intervention of the police.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Foul smell lingers at Ariyamangalam dump yard despite biomining of waste being taken up
The foul smell caused by compacted and fresh waste at Tiruchi Corporation's sprawling dump yard in the suburb of Ariyamangalam continues to linger in the residential and commercial areas here, despite the bio-mining project to process the piles of garbage. The dump yard, spread over 47 acres, is estimated to receive approximately 470 tonnes of garbage daily, in addition to several lakh cubic metres of accumulated (legacy) waste. Residents say while the bio-mining of waste has reduced some of the bigger mounds of garbage, and led to a reduction in the number of fire accidents at the yard, the dour of rotting waste hangs in the air. 'The smell of the compacted waste is strongest during the rainy season. Long-term residents have become accustomed to it, but the emissions can cause respiratory ailments. On the days when the waste is burning, the air is filled with particulate matter,' said Rajasekhar, who has been running a television repair shop near the yard for the past 25 years. Several residents said that many families had vacated the suburb due to health concerns. Social activists pointed out that the dump yard had affected the quality of life in suburban neighbourhoods. 'The area is home to several educational institutions, and is an important link to other cities in the delta region. Having a huge dump yard here is a fire and safety hazard because of the methane emitted by the legacy waste. The Corporation should diversify its management of solid waste to facilities in other locations,' said R. Raja, district secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions. Disposal strategies In May, the Corporation invited tenders to undertake the third phase of the bio-mining project to segregate and process accumulated solid waste at the dump yard. The project was to be implemented at a cost ₹40.85 crore sanctioned under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0. A senior Corporation official said told The Hindu that several steps were taken to monitor the dump yard's waste accumulation and ensure its safe disposal. 'We are getting started on the fourth phase of bio-mining. Tiruchi generates 430 to 470 tonnes of trash a day, in addition to green waste and silt. The segregation of at least 200 tonnes is done at the primary level, through 39 micro-compost centres. Besides Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), we have proposed a bio-compressed natural gas (CNG) plant to process approximately 100 tonnes of fruit and vegetable waste. Approximately 20 to 30 tonnes of fresh meat and poultry waste is being recycled as fodder pellets at the yard,' he said. A plan to shred and process garden waste at source is being considered. 'At present, the Corporation is sending 10 to 15 tonnes of plastic waste to cement factories. Once the bio-mining is over, we are looking to increase the green cover in the area. The public should help by separating domestic trash, and opt for recycling. Waste [disposal] is everybody's responsibility, and its management needs public cooperation as well,' said the official.
The Hindu
29-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Villagers protest seeking road repairs in Inamkulathur panchayat
A protest seeking repair of roads was held by residents of Inamkulathur panchayat and members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) on Sunday. The protest demonstration had a symbolic procession through the village. Protesters constructed mock 'road memorials' to draw attention to the deteriorated condition of local roads. The protest was led by CPI(M) district committee member who criticised the administration's prolonged inaction. Protesters raised demands for urgent restoration of road connectivity, particularly in Keelapatti, Kadapatti, Komangalam, and highlighted the daily hardships faced by schoolchildren, the elderly, and residents commuting for essential services due to the severely damaged and neglected roads. Following the protest, officials from the Rural Development Department held a talk with the protesters. The officials assured that road relaying works in Keelapatti, Kadapatti, and Komangalam will be carried out at an estimated cost of ₹97 lakh, with funding from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). Six other union roads in the region will be surveyed and put up for tender within a month. The officials also assured all remaining panchayat roads would be inspected and restored in a phased manner, with written confirmation of the plans shared with the party representatives.
