Indiscriminate dumping and burning of garbage is a common sight in Crawford, and residents have grown accustomed to the stench that emanates from the dump.
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A piece of land on Anbu Nagar Main Road, which has been unoccupied for decades, has turned into a burning site, polluting the air in the vicinity.
Despite the fact that sanitary workers transport waste from most of the identified dumping sites, it is alleged that, depending on the situation and convenience, some garbage collectors set fire to the garbage mounds.
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Residents complain that ash from the burning garbage enters their houses, and sanitation workers burn garbage at every corner of the road. "Every worker is responsible for cleaning the area thoroughly and not burning garbage along the roadside. This appears to have become a practice among sanitation workers, but officials have taken no action as of yet," says J. Jesuraj a resident of Anbu Nagar 4th Cross.
Since the unoccupied plot is located in a residential neighbourhood with an open gym nearby, the fitness seekers and locals who go for walks, feel suffocated by the thick smoke. “Earlier they burnt the waste only at night but since last week, garbage is being burnt here every morning,” says Esther a resident.
Residents claim that rubber tyres and toilet closets, among other waste, have been found dumped on the plot. In addition to the garbage and debris, local vendors also dump leftover vegetable and fruit stock, attracting animals and rodents.
According to M. Ganapathy, who owns a nearby shop, such open plots are both unsafe and unhygienic. “Because of its proximity to the rail overbridge, people use the place for consuming alcohol and other anti-social activities,” he says.
When contacted, Corporation officials with the Abishekapuram Zone said they would inspect the area and track down persons dumping and burning garbage and levy penalties on the offenders.