Civic body sets 2-day deadline to tackle Nilam debris

Additional private trucks will be used to clear waste at night

Several trees along Kamarajar Salai have withered after the cyclone — Photo: K. V. Srinivasan

An intense mass cleaning operation is set to begin to clear the city of garbage and debris caused by Cyclone Nilam.

The Chennai Corporation is stepping up its conservancy operations, especially in the night, to rid the streets of waste and litter left after the storm.

At a meeting on Tuesday, Corporation Commissioner D. Karthikeyan ordered the intensification of night conservancy operations to cope with the challenge of garbage accumulated due to the cyclone.

The civic body has set a deadline for the removal of all accumulated garbage on the streets in two days.

Additional trucks operated by private players will be used to clear waste and debris in the night. As many as 50 private lorries and seven earth-movers will be supporting night conservancy and mass cleaning operations.

According to Corporation officials, 922 trees were uprooted in the cyclone and many branches strew roads and footpaths. Many complaints pertaining to piles of garbage are still being received by the Corporation on their toll free helpline 1913.

The amount of garbage collected per day in the 426 sq km of the Corporation’s limits increased from 4,300 tonnes to 5,000 in the first three days after the cyclone. This week however, the load decreased to about 4,500 tonnes. Even then, the civic body is yet to completely remove all the debris and accumulated garbage on the streets. According to officials though, most of the bus route roads have been cleared of garbage.

On Tuesday, there was brisk activity on clearing debris on roads along the beachfront. Interior roads in the city will be cleared by night conservancy in two days. Dried leaves strewn across streets though, continue to pose a challenge to conservancy workers on the beach.

Trees seem to have particularly borne the brunt of Cyclone Nilam. Apart from the hundreds that were uprooted, several trees on one side of Kamarajar Salai, have been found withered after the cyclone. Officials are puzzled about the mysterious withering, as this phenomenon has never before been seen during previous cyclones in the city. “It is very unusual. We may have to do a study now,” said a senior official.