No clean air for residents of Muttukadu as burning garbage fills smoke in homes

Residents near Muttukadu suffer from toxic smoke due to burning garbage, causing health hazards and forcing some to relocate.

Residents near Muttukadu, who moved to their homes wanting a clean environment and water, have been breathing in smoke for several days now. A pile of garbage that is spread along at least a 100 feet, keeps burning and spewing smoke. 

“When the wind direction turns, the smoke enters our homes. We are on the 11th floor and yet the smoke enters our home and the common passageway. If we don’t turn on the AC and close our windows, then we will have smoke all over the place for several hours,” said Suresh, a resident. 

There are several apartment complexes in the area and all of them suffer from the smoke. Gasper Silva, a resident, said that the fire is deep inside the garbage pile and since it is summer, the fire keeps getting ignited from the depths. “According to the panchayat president, this place is a designated dump yard. We have been living with the stench, but even that seems better than the fire and smoke now. People are leaving their homes and moving to other places due to the fire.”

Harsha Koda, co-founder, Federation of OMR Residential Associations (FOMRRA), said that several places in south Chennai outside the Corporation limits face this problem with panchayats ill-equipped to dispose waste properly. “We have taken it up with senior officials several times but the fires are put out only temporarily,” he added.

Environmental expert K. Karthikeyan said that burning plastic near an ecologically sensitive area, like Muttukkadu, is a serious issue. Setting fire to chlorinated plastic products such as PVC pipes and alcohol residue in plastic cups, turn them carcinogenic, as they contain products of dioxins and furans. This smoke contains many pollutants, such as CO, PM1 and less sub-microns and hence these are likely to mix with the blood of those inhaling it, he said.