Coimbatore : Adding on to the encroachment racket on the water bodies of Coimbatore, the Narasimmanaickenpalayam panchayat officials have reportedly set up a solid waste management unit right on the Koushika riverbed area near Pudhupalayam Road.
Coimbatore : Adding on to the encroachment racket on the water bodies of Coimbatore, the Narasimmanaickenpalayam panchayat officials have reportedly set up a solid waste management unit right on the Koushika riverbed area near Pudhupalayam Road.
The unit has been set across a 1.5 acre plot by the district administration and has also been provided with electricity connection. “This was done three years ago and no one took notice of the violation that was done here. It came to light only when rejuvenation work started for the river,” said a source who preferred to be anonymous.
As the issue hit the surface, activists have petitioned the district administration to remove the unit from the riverbed. However, officials have responded negatively claiming that the land on which the unit was set up was not the riverbed. “We were told that the land was only 'poramboke' and not riverbed, whereas a field visit would clearly state how it is not 'poramboke' but the proper river,” added another activist.
The unit is currently being used to dump domestic, poultry and industrial waste, with some waste also being burned nearby, creating health issues for the public. When contacted, officials from the district administration were not available for comment.