Chennai, May 26 : AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswami has announced that his party will stage a protest on June 2 against the proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) plant at the Kodungaiyur dump yard in North Chennai.

The demonstration will be led by the party's women's wing secretary and former Minister B. Valarmathi near the post office opposite the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Zone 4 office from 10 a.m.

Palaniswami said the WTE project threatens public health and negatively impacts the lives of people in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

'The project poses a serious risk to residents living near the dump yard and could worsen the already precarious public health situation in the area,' he said.

He further urged the DMK-led state government to expedite the construction of a long-pending graveyard in Kodungaiyur and to complete the ongoing infrastructure projects in Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar at the earliest.

The AIADMK's protest adds to growing opposition against the project. Notably, the CPI(M), an ally of the ruling DMK, has also come out strongly against the plant.

On May 15, members of the CPI(M)'s North Chennai district unit held a demonstration near the Kodungaiyur dump yard, calling for the immediate withdrawal of the project. CPI(M) members alleged that the project was approved without proper public consultation and warned of potential health and environmental hazards. They pointed out that the existing dump yard is already prone to frequent fires and emits toxic fumes, making life unbearable for residents in the densely populated locality.

Installing a WTE incinerator would only exacerbate these issues, they said.

Protesters also criticised the state government for failing to enforce the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) norms, which require manufacturers to manage waste generated from their products. They argued that sustainable solid waste management solutions have not been pursued and that incineration is a short-sighted approach.

Those opposing the project have cited a case study from Ivry-sur-Seine near Paris, where an incinerator was linked to dangerously high levels of dioxins in soil and moss samples near schools.

A Paris-based environmental NGO, Collectif 3R, backed these claims in a letter shared with the Federation of North Chennai Residents Welfare Associations (FNCRWA). Ironically, officials from the GCC, including Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran, had recently visited Paris to study WTE models, including the Ivry-sur-Seine plant.

Protests against the Kodungaiyur project have been mounting, with various civil society groups launching a signature campaign.

In a symbolic move, protesters also distributed miniature globes to children, representing their role as future custodians of a pollution-free planet.

As of now, the GCC has not issued a formal response to the rising public outcry.

With tensions escalating, the June 2 protest promises to further spotlight the growing clash between urban waste management policies and environmental justice in Chennai's marginalised northern neighbourhoods.

/IANS