Open dumping on Sanganoor canal irks residents of Coimbatore’s Ward 63

Residents note that CCMC workers empty canal-side bins but leave them on roads, complicating navigation for pedestrians and motorists

Garbage lying near Sanganoor canal. | Photo Credit: M. PERIASAMY

Coimbatore Corporation Ward 63: Ramanathapuram (Central Zone)

Main areas

Sowripalayam Road, Kannapiran Mills Road, Trichy Road, Auto Colony, 50 Feet Road

Voters

Female - 10488, Male - 9996, Others - 0, Total - 20484

Councillor

Santhi Murugan (DMK)

Contact number

8925514063

Issues

Foul odour due to dumping of garbage, traffic congestion due to displaced bins

Infrastructure

Public toilets, Corporation park, Urban Primary Health Centre

“I vividly recall the Sanganoor canal being broader and brimming with fresh water about 15 years ago. Today, we are advocating for its complete closure or burial because people have transformed it into a garbage dumping site,” said A.R. Kumuda, a long-time resident of Ramanathapuram (Ward 63), where the canal now presents an eyesore.

Several residents have observed the canal shrinking and emitting a foul odour due to the indiscriminate dumping of garbage over the last 10 years. The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has placed waste collection bins along the stream’s banks, exacerbating the problem as they become dumping grounds for additional waste.

Low-income households along Auto Colony Road, situated along the stream, have reported an escalation in pest issues at homes. A shopkeeper said, “Rats, cockroaches, and mosquitoes are being spotted more often at homes due to the excess waste accumulating at the canal and in the bins.”

Residents also report that CCMC workers empty the bins and leave them displaced on the road, making it difficult for pedestrians and motorists to navigate the lanes. The bins, which are too heavy to push around, are moved only when workers collect the next batch of waste a week later.

“I travel through Ramanathapuram to reach Avinashi Road from Trichy Road. But the traffic created by excess vehicular movement and blockages due to the bins is difficult to navigate,” said a motorist.

Residents assert that to clean the area effectively and prevent road congesations, the canal should be desilted, freed of encroachments, and the bins must be removed. However, the CCMC’s project to construct bunds along the canal city-wide faces delays attributed to the removal of encroachments. CCMC Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabhakaran said, “We are coordinating with the city police to send notices to people and clear encroachments. But, since the canal runs through the city, it will take time.”

Proposing temporary solutions, a group of residents suggested either removing the bins to prevent people from throwing waste into the canal or erecting fences along the banks of the stream.