Residents Oppose Greater Chennai Waste Project Near Protected Marshland

CHENNAI, India — Residents along the IT Corridor are rallying against a proposed waste management project by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) in the Perungudi dump yard, located in the Pallikaranai marshland, a Ramsar site since 2022. The GCC plans to develop a pilot project for an integrated solid waste management facility on an eight-acre site within three months.

A. Francis, president of the Federation of Thoraipakkam Residents’ Welfare Associations, expressed concerns that the project would damage the marshland, which plays a crucial role in flood management. “We opposed the project for setting up an eco park in 93 acres after biomining of the legacy waste. We want the marshland restored to its original condition,” he said. Francis warned that continuing to dump waste would heighten flood risks for the city.

D. Raman, president of the Sholinganallur Constituency Residents’ Welfare Associations, added that the existing dump yard has been obstructing floodwaters, leading to flooding in several neighbourhoods during the northeast monsoon. “The dumpyard in the marshland blocks floodwaters, affecting areas like Velachery and Pallikaranai,” he mentioned.

Bhuvana Raj of the Federation of OMR Resident Associations’ ECOWatch pointed out violations of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, which mandate a 200-meter buffer zone around waste sites from water bodies. “Waste disposal is dangerously close to an ecologically sensitive area,” she said, stressing the need for transparency in waste processing.

Last year, the community successfully opposed an ₹185.42-crore eco-park project on the reclaimed land of the dump yard, prompting the GCC to withdraw the proposal in November 2024. Environmental expert T.D. Babu warned that the Pallikaranai marshland has already diminished to only 5% of its original size. “Such wetlands cannot be recreated or mimicked,” he asserted.

The residents’ protests against the waste management project are part of a larger movement to restore the Pallikaranai marshland to mitigate flooding risks. Community leaders plan to launch a public awareness campaign, aligning with national efforts to pledge to protect wetlands.