‘Black attire’ protest against flawed Solid Waste Management causes cancellation of Grama Sabha meeting at Mudhalipalayam for fourth time

The Grama Sabha Meeting at Mudhalipalayam, as part of Republic Day celebrations, was cancelled for the fourth time in a row on Monday, as a large section of participants came to the venue in black attires, decrying the “failure of the local body” to implement Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and the delay in declaration of the village as Contaminated Zone.

Last month, the villagers had submitted a petition to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board complaining of “inaction” by the Block Development Officer to their demands for source segregation of waste by households, door-to-door collection of segregated waste, creation of awareness programs for the public, and scientific processing and disposal of waste.

Since no action had been taken as yet on those dumping the wastes openly in vacant lands and quarry areas, causing serious environmental pollution, the villagers expressed their dissent by wearing black attires, leading to eventual cancellation of the Grama Sabha meeting, the villagers said.