Fresh protest by Kodungaiyur residents

CHENNAI: More than a lakh residents living in and around the Kodungaiyur dumping ground in North Chennai have decided to launch fresh agitations against the Chennai Corporation to shift the dump yard.“We have planned to take to the roads from January 23 to shift the dump yard immediately for securing healthy atmosphere for lakhs of residents living here,” said A Soundararajan, a local resident and  MLA from Perambur Assembly constituency.“On January 23 evening, residents from Kodungaiyur and Vyasarpadi will form a human chain near the Kodungaiyur dumping ground to initiate the fresh wave of protest against the Chennai Corporation and our struggle would continue until the civic body announces the shifting of the facility.”He added, “The dumping yard has created severe health-related problems for the local people over the years and continuation of the facility will spell doom for the future generations too.” The local residents have planned several such agitations in the future until the dumping activities are stopped at the facility.For the 19-odd residents welfare associations, which are vociferously objecting to the continuation of dumping ground in the residential area for decades, the agitation seems to be reaching its final stage.“We want the civic body to stick to its own deadline of 2015 on the dumping ground’s lifetime. Though the top officials of the Corporation, in the late 1990s’ promised the local residents that dumping activities would cease in 2002, it is still continuing and we don’t want any more extension,” said P Ganeshan, secretary of the Ever Vigilant Citizens Welfare Association, Kodungaiyur.