Residents want closure of waste disposal facility and restoration of Thamarai lake

The Gummidipoondi constituency in Tiruvallur district, once a sleepy town, has turned into an industrial powerhouse since the establishment of the SIPCOT industrial complex more than a decade ago.

However, residents of more than 60 village panchayats in the constituency say none of the promised benefits have been realised.

Whether it is employment opportunities for the youth, civic infrastructure development, public transport services, uncontaminated waterbodies, or health infrastructure, the constituents are not happy with their lot.

Among the burning issues are the expansion of the industrial waste disposal facility and the resulting health hazards, and the discharge of sewage into the Thamarai lake.

Poor transport facilities

Residents of the Gummidipoondi village complain about the absence of proper public transport facilities such as adequate suburban train services and Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses.

The industrial complex in Gummidipoondi attracts a large number of migrant workers from various parts of the country as well as native residents, who are mostly traders, office goers, and students. For them, travelling to Chennai is difficult due to inadequate suburban train or bus services.

Residents who depend on the economical suburban trains point to the lack of dedicated train services in the north section, similar to those operated in the west or south sections.

Social activist S. Suresh Babu said though Southern Railway announced the expansion of the third and fourth lines from Athipattu to Gummidipoondi to provide dedicated suburban services to the north section more than a year ago, there has been no progress on these fronts.

Similarly, the Gummidipoondi railway station, one of the most important stations in the north section, has the potential to become a multi-modal transport hub, and was slotted for redevelopment under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS). However, the station redevelopment work has been progressing slowly, causing severe inconvenience to the commuters, he added.

The residents said that only a few MTC bus services were being operated, and those were only to Red Hills via Madhavaram, forcing them to depend on long-distance buses, which were an expensive alternative.

They also lament the gradual deterioration of the sprawling Thamarai lake, located in the heart of the main village, due to the rampant discharge of sewage and industrial wastes into the channels linked to the lake. The lake, which was once the lifeline for ground water recharge and a drinking water source, is heavily polluted and choked by water hyacinth.

Social activist T.K.A. Preem Kumar, a resident of Thervoy village, criticised the failure of the district administration to protect and develop the lake, which had the potential to be a tourist attraction. Mr. Kumar blamed the letting of industrial waste and the sewage brought by tankers from various other parts of the district and dumping in the storm water drain network of the National Highways for the pathetic situation.

The residents and social activists citing the various health ailments faced by the residents including a large number kidney failure patients attribute the problem to the industrial waste disposal facility located right next to the SIPCOT Industrial compound.

Residents have also been demanding the closure of the industrial waste disposal facility adjacent to the SIPCOT Industrial complex, which has been expanded due to the increase in the quantity of waste, including medical waste, being dumped there.

Residents point out that MLA T.J. Govindarajan had promised to stop the expansion of the waste disposal facility in 2021, but the situation has only worsened.

Industrialists have their own grievances, which includes the need for the construction of a common sewage treatment plant (STP) in the SIPCOT complex.

G.M. Krishnamurthy, president of Industrial Complex Manufacturers Association (ICMA) of SIPCOT Gummidipoondi, said they had been demanding the construction of a common STP to prevent industrial wastes from being discharged into the drain network, but no steps had been taken in this regard.

The ICMA also highlighted the presence of several Tasmac shops around the industrial complex, causing trouble to women workers. 

The residents of Gummidipoondi highlight the numerous accidents happening on the GNT Road and those suffering accidents in the industries being referred to the Government Stanley hospital in the city located more than 40 kilometres due to failure to upgrade the Government Gummidipoondi hospital.

Published – March 28, 2026 12:54 am IST