Residents want closure of waste disposal facility, restoration of Thamarai lake in Gummidipoondi

Residents of Gummidipoondi demand closure of a waste facility and restoration of Thamarai lake amidst ongoing health and transport issues.

The Gummidipoondi constituency in Tiruvallur district, once a sleepy town, has turned into an industrial powerhouse since the establishment of the SIPCOT industrial complex more than a decade ago.

However, residents of more than 60 village panchayats in the constituency say none of the promised benefits have been realised.

Whether it is employment opportunities for the youth, civic infrastructure development, public transport services, uncontaminated waterbodies, or health infrastructure, the constituents are not happy with their lot.

Among the burning issues are the expansion of the industrial waste disposal facility and the resulting health hazards, and the discharge of sewage into the Thamarai lake.

Residents of the Gummidipoondi village complain about the absence of proper public transport facilities such as adequate suburban train services and Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses.

The bus terminus at Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur district | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam