The Hindu : College refuses to join residents' eco drive

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 18, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

College refuses to join residents' eco drive

By Shonali Muthalaly

CHENNAI APRIL 17. Residents of the P.V. Cherian Crescent Road, off Ethiraj Salai, who joined hands a year ago to launch an eco drive, have not made much headway during the past year due to unresolved issues with the locality's most illustrious neighbour, the Ethiraj College. Now, with the college building new blocks, their protest has grown louder since they anticipate additional problems with garbage disposal and traffic.

With the help of Exnora the `Cherian Crescent Association' organised a system to clear the area's garbage, which was till then being sporadically picked up by the Corporation. Now, two cleaners with tricycles, everyday collect garbage, which residents store in drums placed outside their apartments, and transport it to the Corporation dump. Though this concerted effort has made a tremendous difference to parts of the road, it is largely wasted because of the piles of refuse that often overflow from the Ethiraj College's concrete bin, which is situated at the head of the road and is regularly overstuffed. After college functions, the problem intensifies since the garbage generated, which includes large quantities of food, is far more than what the relatively small bin can hold.

"We told them that if they could just move the bin into the college campus it would be a huge improvement. Otherwise, we suggested that they join the association and let our people clear it for them. However, they refuse to comply with either recommendation," says K.K. Rajasekharan Nair, the former DGP and the president of the association. On the other hand, the owner of Hotel Kanchi followed their advice and relocated its garbage dump, resulting in a dramatic improvement in the section of the road outside the hotel.

Indhrani Sridharan, Principal of the Ethiraj College, says that they chose not to join the association because they asked the college for Rs.1000 a month to clear the garbage everyday. "We are an educational institution. We don't have the kind of money corporates do. We spoke to the Mayor and the corporation now regularly clears our bin," she said.

The association also says that have repeatedly asked the college administration to advise students against parking on the road as the cars parked chock-a-block on both sides of the narrow road, make it difficult to enter the one-way street. According to the Principal, the college had provided facilities for a 196 cars on campus but drivers who arrive well before classes break off, have no option but to park on the Crescent Road since they cannot be allowed to wait inside the college.

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