Press Release
Chennai, 29 October 2012: More than 1000 residents from Kodungaiyur and surrounding areas formed a human chain to protest against the illegal waste dumping and burning at Kodungaiyur in north Chennai. The chain stretched for more than 3 kilometres from Kannadasan Nagar Bus Depot to the gates of the dumping grounds. The participants included representatives of around 5 resident welfare organisations of North Chennai, school students from Kodungaiyur and members of DYFI.
The participants raised slogans against the ongoing illegal dumping by the corporation of Chennai. Lasting for more than 2 hours, the event ended with a meeting of about 300 participants at the gates of the dumping grounds where representatives of various groups testified against the dumping activity. The demands of the group were to immediately stop the dumping and burning of waste in the yard. Several landfill fires in the last two years have severely contaminated the air around the dump with toxic gases and dust.
Today’s demonstration was part of the ongoing struggle of the residents for the permanent closure of the dump yard which has been a source of severe pollution leading to a health emergency in the areas around it. It comes on the heels of the report release by MLA Mr. A. Soundararajan on Saturday, which revealed the presence of toxic dust in the ambient air of Kodungaiyur. The next course of action will be a padayatra or march from Kodungaiyur to Perungudi, which will be a show of solidarity with the resident suffering from a similar waste dump in the south of Chennai.
For more details contact Ganesan: 9940509292 or Nagaratna: 9940272439