I am happy to once again join the initiative taken by The Hindu . While talking about waste management, we overlook the golden maxim – ‘Prevention is better than cure.’ Is it necessary to create awareness to keep one’s city clean? Is it not everyone’s duty? We do get umpteen opportunities to litter our roads, trains, buses, etc. For instance, the other day while travelling on a bus, a checking inspector was waiting at the stop collecting tickets from passengers alighting. After collecting, he crumpled the tickets and threw them on the road. The person would have thought “What if I threw a few pieces of tickets?”
This kind of attitude has made Chennai a city of trash.
Secondly, I believe that the ‘flat culture’ is more of a bane than a boon. It is from here that rubbish is invariably thrown on the streets. People dump so much repeatedly that it sometimes becomes impossible for conservancy staff to clean it. Ultimately, it is only during rain and floods we are reminded of blocked drains or diseases that lead to death. Even as we point a finger towards the authorities questioning dereliction of duty, three fingers point at our irresponsibility, insensivity and indifference in performing our duties too
T.R. Maragatham
Triplicane
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Core areas of the city are generating more garbage owing to higher density of population, thanks to inflow of migrant population, mushrooming mansions and unauthorised buildings. A travel along the bylanes of Triplicane and Chepauk reveals a sad story - ever accumulating garbage, overflowing sewage, cows eating plastic covers and homeless people defecating in the open.
If the Chennai Corporation and authorities concerned are to be blamed for all this, so are the people. People should be aware of simple things like not to throw garbage on the roads, especially from second and third floor balconies.
This is a common sight in places like Triplicane.
Residents should be instructed to give garbage bags to conservancy workers who collect garbage every morning on tricycle.
Specific bags for recyclable and non-recyclable waste should be distributed to residents.
Conservancy workers should collect fine from residents who litter the streets.
Sewer systems have to be upgraded in areas where there is insufficient carrying capacity.
Divya Pathangay
URBENVIZ
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I am living on Cholan Street, RMK Nagar, Perungalathur. The panchayat board has put up a board near my street saying the dumping of garbage is illegal and banned from 2009.
Though a person comes every morning to collect garbage, it is sad that people dump waste all over the streets, even near the board!
This can be prevented only when people realise how unhygienic is the practice of dumping waste like this.
Stringent action should also be taken against those who throw garbage on the roads.
Chandramohan.S
Perungalathur
