Farmers, activists oppose quarry waste disposal policy in Tamil Nadu

Tiruppur, May 25 (IANS) Growing concerns are being raised across Tamil Nadu over the practice of dumping municipal solid waste in abandoned stone quarries, with farmers and environmental activists urging the state government to reconsider existing provisions that permit such disposal methods.

The demand comes amid allegations that local bodies in several districts, including Tiruppur, have been using abandoned quarry sites as dumping grounds for garbage collected from residential areas.

Environmental groups and farmers fear that the practice could lead to long-term damage to natural resources and public health if not regulated through stricter safeguards.

Representations have reportedly been submitted to the state government seeking amendments or withdrawal of a government order issued in February 2022 under the Reclamation, Restoration and Rehabilitation (RRR) framework.

Particular concern has been expressed over a provision that allows local bodies to utilise abandoned quarry pits for solid waste disposal. Activists argue that the provision is increasingly being misused, with allegations that untreated and unsegregated municipal waste is being directly dumped into quarry sites without proper scientific processing.

According to them, such practices pose risks of soil degradation, groundwater contamination, air pollution and broader environmental impacts. There are also concerns that abandoned quarry areas, which have the potential to function as water retention zones, may gradually lose their ecological value if they are converted into permanent garbage disposal sites.

Environmental campaigners maintain that many of these quarries naturally accumulate and store rainwater and therefore could serve as valuable resources during periods of water scarcity.

The issue has also reached legal forums in recent years, with petitions being filed before judicial bodies challenging the dumping of waste in quarry pits.

Legal observations have reportedly indicated that abandoned quarries may be used only for inert and scientifically processed waste under specific conditions and that such use must remain consistent with the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.

Farmers and environmental groups are now calling for stricter implementation of waste segregation and processing measures and the establishment of an effective monitoring mechanism to prevent environmental violations. They have also urged authorities to preserve abandoned quarry sites and protect them from becoming unregulated waste disposal zones.

–IANS

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