Unsegregated Waste at Kodungaiyur Dump Yard Threatens 3,000 Ragpicker Families

The continued accumulation of unsegregated solid waste at the Kodungaiyur dump yard in the Perambur Assembly constituency of North Chennai is posing severe health risks to local ragpickers and their families. Despite new environmental regulations aimed at managing waste, the ongoing arrival of mixed trash has highlighted the immense challenge of achieving 100% waste segregation at the source.

On July 2, 2026, drone camera footage captured unnerving visuals of the vast 352-acre dump yard, showing local women squelching through massive mounds of trash to collect materials that could be recycled. For these women living in the Perambur Assembly constituency, ragpicking has remained the only available source of livelihood. However, this work comes at a devastating cost. Local residents claim that many members of nearly 3,000 families in the area have lost their lives due to the severe health risks associated with ragpicking.

The dump yard is located in the heart of a thickly populated locality in North Chennai. Currently, biomining of the waste yard has started as part of an eco-restoration project for the 352-acre area. However, the lack of waste segregation continues to undermine these efforts and threaten the safety of the local population.

Chennai Corporation Councillor Dilli Babu stated that the women are being exposed to extreme health risks because fresh waste continues to accumulate in the dump yard without any segregation at the source. This ongoing dumping of mixed waste complicates the biomining process.

According to Councillor Babu, officials suggested source segregation as the primary solution after the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, officially kicked in on April 1, 2026. However, enforcing this rule has proven difficult. Councillor Babu noted that achieving 100% source segregation has been an incredibly challenging task for the city, leaving thousands of families vulnerable to toxic conditions.