Residents urge authorities to relocate Valampurivilai dumping yard

Residents near Valampurivilai dumping yard in Nagercoil face health hazards due to waste accumulation, urging authorities for relocation.

The Valampurivilai dumping yard, which is located in a residential area under Nagercoil Municipal Corporation, has caused significant hardship to residents, who are urging the authorities to relocate it to the outskirts of the city.

The dumping yard, located in Beach Road junction, is surrounded by residential areas, hospitals and markets. Wastes collected from across the Corporation are brought to the yard for further treatment. As a result, piles of waste have accumulated over the years, awaiting proper processing.

Suganthi, a resident from Irulappapuram, said: “The residents living here endure constant air pollution and foul smell throughout the day.”

Stray dogs often pull the waste from the yard and scatter it across the area, worsening the hygienic conditions, she added.

Another resident, Reshmi, highlighted the mosquito menace in the area. “Even though the corporation has been taking efforts to control it, the issue cannot be resolved until the waste in the yard is completely processed or relocated. Motorists passing by instantly cover their nose when they come within a few metres of the yard. Imagine the plight of those living here,” she said.

Having a dumping yard near or inside the residential area should be avoided, and authorities must take immediate action and relocate the dumping yard to a more suitable location, as its current presence in the area poses health and environmental challenges, she further said.

Occasional fire in the dumping yard is one of the other major concerns of the residents and motorists. Murugan, a fruit vendor on Beach Road,c sa.ys the fires in the yard sometimes take an entire day to extinguish. “The road has a market a few metres away from the dumping yard, and the foul smell and pollution from the smoke often affects business.”