Residents oppose garbage dumping into lake near Vaniyambadi

Residents of Alangayam oppose garbage dumping in key water source, leading to contamination and mosquito increase in the town.

Residents of Alangayam near Vaniyambadi town in Tirupattur have opposed dumping of garbage in the lake by miscreants and the civic body as the lake remains a key water source to recharge groundwater in the area and supply water for domestic consumption.   Residents said that Alangayam town comprises 15 wards with more than 25,000 persons, who are mostly traders, agricultural labourers and government staff. Like other big towns like Vaniyambadi, Natrampalli and Jolarpet, Alangayam town also depends on water supplied by the civic body through the Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board (TWAD) and local water sources, which are mainly lakes and ponds in the area. “Most of the residents near the lake are keeping vigil in preventing dumping of garbage into the waterbody. Despite our efforts, garbage is being dumped in the lake during the night,” said K. Vennila, a resident.

Spread over 25 hectares, the lake, locally known as Periya eri, is among three lakes near Alangayam town that are maintained by Alangayam panchayat union. Marimanikuppam irrigation tank is the only water body maintained by WRD, which has 49 tanks in the district, as it helps to irrigate over 100 hectares of farmland in the area.

Excess rainwater from nearby hills during monsoon get discharged into the lake before falling into Palar river. During summer, water level in the lake decreases. Taking advantage of the low level of water, garbage is dumped in the lake. Huge volumes of wastes are also burnt regularly to provide more space for further dumping.

Stray dogs and cattle thrive on perishable waste dumped in the lake. Residents said that many times they have noticed garbage laden tractors by Alangayam town panchayat also dump its wastes in the lake. A few days ago, residents blocked tractors of the civic body on the way to dump wastes in the waterbody.

Apart from contamination of groundwater in the area, residents said that garbage dumping in the lake also increased mosquitos in the town in recent months. Regular fogging has not been done by the civic body for many months. They have complained on the issue to the civic body and panchayat union officials, but no efforts have been taken to protect the lake.

Panchayat officials said that around 3-5 tonnes of garbage generated within the civic body every day. At present, the panchayat has a compost yard where wastes are segregated into organic and inorganic wastes. As the compost yard is smaller, handling of accumulated wastes remains a challenge. Despite limited space to handle wastes, efforts are being taken to prevent dumping of garbage in the lake, panchayat officials said.