Foundry sand, plastic waste and other garbage dumped on vacant land along Chinniyampalayam–Irugur Road near the Coimbatore International Airport in Coimbatore on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: SIVA SARAVANAN S.
Heaps of foundry sand and other waste have been dumped on vacant plots along Chinniyampalayam–Irugur Road, close to the runway of the Coimbatore International Airport.
During a visit by The Hindu to the area, foundry waste was found dumped at multiple spots on the vacant land. The plots are understood to have been acquired for the proposed expansion of the airport. Domestic plastic waste and other mixed waste were also found dumped in the area.
The dumping of foundry waste on open land has raised concerns over the handling of industrial waste. Foundry sand, depending on its composition and after meeting prescribed standards, can be put to beneficial use in applications such as construction filling, road works and certain building materials. The site falls within Chinniyampalayam panchayat.
“Instead of allowing foundry waste to be dumped on vacant land, its suitability for reuse should be assessed and the material should be channelled for authorised applications,” an environmentalist said.
K. Veluswami, Director, Foundry Development Foundation (FDF), said foundry waste sand, which is black in colour, is non-hazardous and can be reused in several ways.
“We are partnering with the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute at a cost of ₹32 lakh to conduct research in Coimbatore on the use of foundry waste sand in road construction. While small foundry units may resort to dumping the waste, the government can also come up with suitable mechanisms to facilitate its collection and reuse,” he said.
A District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) official said that the administration had not received any complaint regarding the dumping and that officials were unaware of the issue. “We will inspect the site soon and trace the source of the waste,” the official said.
The official said the administration was also working on measures to address waste accumulation in panchayat areas. Plans were being drawn up for biomining legacy waste dumped in the panchayats and for establishing micro-composting centres to handle waste generated in the panchayats, the official said.
Published – September 22, 2026 07:08 pm IST
