Save Chembarambakkam

Request to reject the proposal for establishing a solid waste management plant with a sanitary landfill in the catchment area of Chembarambakkam lake regarding

We have come to know that a solid waste management plant, integrated with a sanitary landfill is going to come in the very catchment area of Chembarambakkam lake. Chembarambakkam reservoir is the major water source for Chennai, a city that consumes around 60 Crore liters of water every day. We simply cant let 455 tons of waste from 5 Municipalities and 1 Town Panchayat to be treated there everyday. This will certainly pollute the reservoir., beyond any doubt.

Also Mrs.Almitra Patel, Member of Supreme Court Committee for Solid Waste Management has herself visited the proposed site and stated that the ground water level in the site is at 3 meters even before the monsoons, and if the project is implemented in the site, the adverse impacts would be severely adverse.

These adverse impacts may not be felt immediately. But slowly in a few years, we will be put into an irrevocable situation, where the water body would have been polluted to a greater extent. Further water expert Sri. N.G.Anuthaman of Centre for Water Resources, Anna University has also cautioned not to go ahead with the project.

We then wonder why there is so much hesitation from TNPCB to say a strong NO to this project.

Moreover, water pollution catalyzes spreading of contagious diseases to an uncontrollable extent. When the Chennai citizens are already combating Swine flu and Dengue, it would be a suicidal blunder to allow a waste treatment in the catchment area of the city's major water source. Many poor people in the city are surviving by drinking the corporation water. When the Chembarambakkam water gets polluted, the lives of these poor people would be destined to darkness.

An expert committee appointed by TNPCB has inspected the proposed site in 2008 and stated that the site is not a suitable location for the project. We strongly wish the decision of the committee upheld.

Kindly reject this project without giving the clearance. May the Pollution Control Board take a step forward to control pollution in its true sense.