Thaiyyur residents want garbage fire to be put out

Residents of Thaiyyur facing health issues due to thick smoke from local garbage yard, demanding Fire Services intervention.

Residents of Thaiyyur, a locality off Rajiv Gandhi Salai (popularly called OMR) with high rise buildings, has a burning problem. Thick smoke from the local panchayat’s garbage yard keeps entering houses in the area.

“The panchayat was burning garbage till a few years ago. But they stopped doing it after promises were made during the parliamentary election. Now, the issue has risen again. The fire is intense with huge flames and the wind fans the smoke. We want the Fire Services to put it out as is done in case of fire at the Greater Chennai Corporation’s Perungudi dump yard,” said Cannane, a resident.

A security guard at an apartment complex near the Kelambakkam bypass says the wind seems to be blowing the smoke in their direction always. “People are complaining of burning sensation in their throat and nostrils. You can smell and will even inhale the smoke when you travel on OMR and on the bypass. It’s difficult after a point of time,” he said.

Shivuli, a resident, said they wanted the yard to be shifted from that location. “Even when there is no fire, the stench from the rotting garbage is rather strong and reaches our homes about half a kilometre away. This is actually a garbage segregation yard but waste from the entire panchayat is dumped here,” she said.

At the yard, an earth mover was trying to push garbage that had piled up between its wall and the bypass. An employee of the Thaiyyur panchayat said the fire had been set off outside by unknown persons. “The garbage was pushed into the compound by those laying the bypass, causing the mounds inside to catch fire.”.