Manikandan has a 9to5 job, and he travels from Saidapet to his workplace in Egmore. But, it’s not a run-of-the-mill job. His workspace is the Cooum River.
When he reaches his ‘office’, Manikandan changes into a Khaki shirt and a lungi, and trudges down a mud-laden pathway and mounts into a backhoe loader to collect garbage and debris that are piling up in the waterway.
Two months ago, as part of a project by Greater Chennai Corporation, Manikandan was hired by a contractor to clear the rubbish accumulating in the Cooum river along the Link Road in Egmore.
Manikandan has been dutifully following instructions, collecting the waste from the waterway and depositing it on the pavement along Link Road.
But, the waste from the river has been piling up along the pavement, resulting in an overpowering stench.
“I was hired to only clean the Cooum river; what happens with the litter that I remove is the responsibility of the Corporation,” says Manikandan.
According to the vendors in the area, the cleanup has been going on for the last 18 months. The waste was being cleared regularly. For the last one month though, it has not been disposed of.
Domestic waste, industrial refuse, plastic covers and wine bottles constitute most of the waste that is gathered from the river.
The spot where the garbage accumulates is now being used as a urinal by passers-by and as a dumping ground by residents of neighbouring areas. It has become a smoking zone for some people. Needless to say, the accumulated garbage promotes breeding of mosquitoes.
When The Hindu Downtown contacted the Zone officials, they said the garbage would be cleared soon. But, action is yet to be taken.
