Residents plan protest against the proposed waste-to-energy plant in Kodungaiyur on May 25

Residents protest against waste-to-energy plant in Kodungaiyur due to health concerns, plan human chain demonstration.

Residents on Sunday announced the launch of a protest against the first waste-to-energy plant to be set up in Kodungaiyur.

Following a seminar on environmental conservation in north Chennai, they announced that a human chain demonstration would be held on May 25 to oppose the plant, which is being planned by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). ReSustainability Limited will implement the project, and the work is expected to begin soon.

T.K. Shanmugham, president of The Federation of North Chennai Residents’ Welfare Associations, said residents had opposed the plant because of concerns over public health in the region. S. Subbiah, who lives in the vicinity of the dump yard, said: “I came to participate in the seminar because I want to know about the  environmental impact of the project. I will oppose it because the risk it poses is too high.”

Ward 4 councillor R. Jayaraman said at least 10,000 residents would form the human chain to protest against the plant. “Residents of north Chennai will intensify the protest if the government is still determined to go ahead with the project,” he said.

Ward 35 councillor S. Jeevan, who was the first to oppose the waste-to-energy plant in the GCC Council meeting, said the government should consider the proposal to construct medical and engineering colleges and institutions of excellence to provide higher education to the economically backward students of north Chennai after biomining was completed at the Kodungaiyur dump yard.

Ward 37 councillor Dilli Babu said the residents were protesting against the plant because their health had already been affected due to the industrial pollution in north Chennai. “I have decided to support the people. I have realised that this protest is for the sake of the next generation. All residents should join hands.”

The State government has already begun biomining to remove legacy waste. In the Kodungaiyur dump yard, over 10% of legacy waste has been processed. The residents want the State government to construct the new Secretariat in Kodungaiyur after the biomining is completed. If the Secretariat is constructed here, the area will become clean, they said.