Nearly 80% of residents near Kodungaiyur incinerator report health issues: survey
Over 79.8% of the surveyed residents living near the incinerator plant of the waste-to-energy (WtE) project at the Kodungaiyur dump yard reported adverse health symptoms
Over 79.8% of the surveyed residents living near the incinerator plant of the waste-to-energy (WtE) project at the Kodungaiyur dump yard reported adverse health symptoms, according to a community health survey conducted on February 16 and 17, say residents’ associations. The Federation of North Chennai Residents’ Welfare Associations and the Alliance for Incinerator Free Chennai submitted a petition to Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Commissioner G.S. Sameeran on Thursday, demanding the permanent closure of the incinerator plant.
The survey, which was conducted in 415 households across eight neighbourhoods within a two-kilometre radius of the 50 Metric Tonnes Per Day (MTPD) facility, documented severe socio-economic disruptions. A total of 93.4% of the respondents attributed their illnesses to the facility’s smoke. While all of them observed smoke from the plant, 91.6% reported that their groundwater was visibly degraded or undrinkable.
The survey also revealed that 53% of the households faced disruptions to children’s education, and 45.5% reported frequent work absences. More than half of all the surveyed households reported health, educational, and economic burdens. The associations reiterated their demands for the cancellation of the other proposed incinerator projects — including a 2,100 TPD facility in Kodungaiyur, a 1,500 TPD plant in Tambaram, and a proposed facility in Coimbatore.
The federation requested the civic body to implement their ‘Green Chennai Initiative’ proposal for solid waste management. It also demanded comprehensive impact assessments and medical remedies for the affected communities.
The BriefWire