The footpath (along the compound wall of a private school) on Ramaswamy Salai in K.K. Nagar is an assault on the senses, thanks to conservancy workers of the Greater Chennai Corporation using the that portion of the footpath to segregate waste dumped in the bins. The workers say as residents fail to segregate waste before dumping it in the bins, they end up doing the segregation job. As there is no dedicated space to segregate the waste, they have no option other than using the footpath, the conservancy workers say.
Interestingly, just a few months ago, the footpath was widened and boulders were installed to prevent motorcyclists from driving on it. Besides, boards have been put up to sensitise the public about the importance of footpaths for pedestrian safety.
“We are unable to take our children to the school, by foot, as the foul smell from the garbage is unbearable. We ending up walking on the carriageway to stay away from the stench as much as possible,” says S. Kumaran, a resident of K.K. Nagar.
Another reason is that the trips made by the Greater Chennai Corporation compactors are irregular and therefore, the garbage stays on the footpath for longer than they should.
As per norms, a compactor should make a minimum of one trip to each neighbourhood every day. In places where there are many commercial establishments, the compactors should make two or three trips.
“Steps will be taken to address this issue soon,” says a Corporation official
