K. Jayaprakash observes that he is accustomed to witnessing the Ooty effect in Thiruvanchery, a panchayat nuzzling its back with a languid, feline-like ease against the relatively bustling Tambaram City. By evoking the pleasant Ooty climate, he is unconsciously taking the edge off a problem. In reality though, he cannot mitigate this problem, let alone solve it in toto: not he, nor his neighbours at a gated community in G.K.M. Nagar in Thiruvanchery.

Jayaprakash is president of Serenity Paradise Plot Owners’ Association, a 147-unit community located in the tail end of Thiruvanchery panchayat. These residents have been witness to the local civic body’s management of solid waste at close quarters, too close for their comfort. In Jayaprakash’s as well as his neighbours’ eyes, burning from smoke exposure, this is rank mismanagement. They are hoping against hope that the panchayat would treat some other residential zone to this “garbage tourism”, because this has been going on for far too long, precisely for two years, since the establishment of Serenity Paradise two years ago. It is not ‘tourism’ any more, but mundane, sickening everyday reality.

“Garbage is being dumped not far from our compound wall, where our park is located. And it is set to fire every evening. We have made many representations to Thiruvanchery panchayat to stop the garbage dumping, but still wait to see results. The issue is long-standing, even the promoter having given up after waging a losing battle trying to get the civic body to discontinue the dumping,” says Jayaprakash. “The garbage dump is interfering with the natural development of this residential space; plot owners are baulking at building on their piece of land, seeing the smoke from the garbage pile, when it is set to fire. It has become an uncomfortable constant every evening; at Serenity Paradise, we keep our doors and windows locked fearing a blast of smoke. The garbage dumping happens in what is said to be temple land, and besides our community, the campus of GKM College of Engineering and Technology is located nearby.”

The problem “descends” as well as it “ascends”. Jayaprakash points to possible groundwater contamination, as “the water tastes different”, and he suspects leachate to be behind it.

He elaborates: “Our Association goes to great lengths to protect groundwater; one of the measures is enjoining members to avoid the use of septic tanks with choke pits and letting the refuse water into the ground. All of us use bio-septic tanks. Despite our best efforts, the water is getting spoilt, probably because of the garbage dumping at this spot.”