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NT Bureau
Chennai, Apr 9:
 

The fence, encircling the banks of a pond in Lakshmi Nagar, near Porur junction, does not deter people from dumping rubbish there.

        It is common knowledge, in this locality, that about a dozen lorries arrive every night at ungodly hours to dump garbage on the bed of a dried-up pond at Lakshmi Nagar, near Porur junction.

        Though the residents of the locality have complained to the concerned officials about this illegal dumping of garbage on land, belonging to the Maduravoyal Municipality, this nightly activity goes unchecked.

        Every morning, dense, nauseating smoke, emanating from the rubbish burnt here, greets motorists using the Arcot Road.

        Residents feel that erecting another barbed wire fence along the banks of the pond will in no way solve the issue. 'A few years ago, a fence was put up to ward off miscreants. But within a few months, the fencing was cut wide open and the dumping of garbage here continued unchecked,' said R Umapathy, manager of Chennai Fuels, a petrol bunk near the garbage dump.

        Rag pickers and errand boys, hired by scrap merchants, set afire mounds of debris and household refuse, creating a dense, foul smoke that wafts across the neighbourhood. 'At times, the smell is so overpowering that it makes breathing difficult,' Umapathy laments.

        The mountains of garbage strewn in this dump yard has now encroached upon the road.

        It is also a matter of concern that motorists and passers by use this spot as an open toilet.

        It is hard to recall that this area was once known for its greenery and unlimited supply of water.

        Over the years, the size of the pond shrinked with the steady increase in the amount of garbage dumped here and the encroachment of commercial outlets and buildings.

        'People living in the nearby flats and shop owners also have to be blamed for this as they throw rubbish here daily. Hotels, roadside joints and mutton stalls are the worst offenders as they dump putrefied vegetables, carcasses and leftovers here, which attracts stray dogs and cattle,' informed S Karthick, who works in a timber depot.

        In the early 80s, a resolution was passed by the Panchayat to set up a multi-storeyed complex and lease it out to commercial outlets. But the plan never took off. 'What was once a lush, two-acre pond has now shrunk to a five-ground-dump yard due to rapid encroachment on all sides and the steady increase in garbage,' complained N Kaliamurthy, councillor, Villivakkam Union.

        Kaliamurthy said it was up to the Municipality to take up the initiative in this issue. He said that burning rubbish here was dangerous as it reduced the visibility of motorists, which might lead to accidents.

        Quite close to the dump yard, there is a big timber depot and a petrol bunk. One can imagine the conflagration waiting to happen, if the daily ritual of burning rubbish here sparks off a fire accident.