For many years now, a small parcel of land in Peeli Amman Kovil Street at Taramani is in a sorry state. Mounds of garbage, including plastic wastes, occupy a large section of this land, believed to measure 18 grounds.
Residents find the water getting discoloured and exuding a foul odour following the monsoon. They attribute this to the ‘landfill’. There is a lake near the piece of land which, contrary to expectations, does not provide potable water. “During monsoon, water remains stagnant on this landfill and there is gradual seepage, which leads to pollution of the lake and ground water,” say residents.
They want the lake to be desilted at the earliest. “The ground is overgrown with bushes and grass. It needs to be cleared of them. Now, it has become a den for tipplers and substance abusers. You can find even young boys here in the night. If it is government property, it could be converted into a playground for children or a building for various departments could be constructed. To pay water and electricity bills, we go to Indira Nagar and Velachery,” say Dhanasekharan and Santhanam, both residents of the area.
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A few are of the opinion that a community hall should be constructed as their neighbourhood doesn’t have one. Also, there is a public washroom near the ground but, as it poorly maintained, nobody uses it. Residents say it is not required as many households have their own washrooms and it is better to demolish it.
Parvathy, a resident, says “The nearby food joints also dump their garbage and leftover food on this land. The stench is unbearable and it offers a fertile ground for mosquitoes to breed. The Corporation workers do not visit the street regularly. ” Residents say the mounds of garbage need to be cleared at the earliest. Otherwise, it will become a mini dumpyard.