Animal waste is being buried in Vellalore dumpyard, residents allege

Coimbatore: Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board officials on Monday inspected the Vellalore dumpyard following complaints by residents that chicken waste was being buried there.

An animal waste processing unit that had been functioning at the landfill was shut down on March 30 following complaints of foul smell by the residents. However, the city corporation continued to bring animal waste to the Vellalore landfill and buried it there, the residents alleged.

Residents represented the issue to the TNPCB through the Kurichi-Vellalore Pollution Prevention Action Committee.

After inspecting the dumpyard, TNPCB officials said their report would be submitted to the state office this week.

A TNPCB official said the private processing unit was granted licence to operate till 2026. “The justification for the closure of the unit was not provided. Appropriate actions will be directed from the state to the corporation regarding the burial of animal waste. According to the waste management rules, animal waste should either be converted into fertilizer or animal feed. The groundwater in these locations is severely affected and our reports have shown the same. In this context, the burial of animal waste could further deteriorate groundwater.”

K S Mohan, secretary of the Kurichi-Vellalore Pollution Prevention Action Committee, had written to the corporation commissioner regarding the same. He told TOI, “When the processing unit was operational, we could not bear the foul smell. Now the corporation’s move will pollute the whole area.”

He alleged that the animal waste collection company had no authorized licence. Also, it had not obtained permission from the TNPCB to carry waste to other districts or states, he said.

According to a senior corporation official, about 15 tonnes of animal waste was being generated every day in the city which would be a little higher on Sundays. He said, “We are diverting the waste to processing units in Mysore, Kerala and Madurai. However, on Sundays, there is excess waste generation, and only minimal waste is being buried. We ensure that nothing impacts the ground water. A feasibility analysis to construct an in-house processing facility is being done.”