The much talked-about dengue awareness programmes conducted by urban and rural local bodies in the city’s outskirts, has not had the necessary impact, residents feel.
H. Gopalakrishnan of Ganesh Nagar in Selaiyur, in his post ‘India stinking! Who is responsible?’ on the Friends of Chennai (FOC) website, points out to the heaps of garbage dumped in vacant plots and on roadsides in Sembakkam Municipality near Tambaram.
It is a pity, he says, considering that recently, the municipality conducted enumeration of health issues in areas under its jurisdiction and even issued notices to residents to keep their houses clean to prevent mosquito breeding. The notice which is also pasted on the doors of households, warns of legal action against residents who indulge in littering in public.
“The nationwide campaign by the Government of India — ‘PM’s promise: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission)’ — covers 4,041 towns and promises clean streets and roads. It will remain a dream, if this kind of attitude continues,” Mr. Gopalakrishnan added.
Residents of Sembakkam and Gowriwakkam say that though door-to-door collection of domestic waste is in place, roadside dumping of garbage continues and it is imperative this should be stopped. Alternatively, the garbage should at least be cleared on a daily basis. Vacant spots near Alavattamman temple, Kanakaraja Street and Maruthi Nagar Main Road are fast becoming an eyesore for people who come to offer prayers at the temple and also for those who bring their children and elders in the family to the Annai Anjugam Park.
Rajiv Ganesan of Gowriwakkam says the garbage problem does not stop with dumping alone. Sometimes, the garbage is set on fire, resulting in poor visibility to motorists and breathing difficulties for people living in the vicinity. There are 15 wards in Sembakkam Municipality and about 20 tonnes of garbage is generated every day.
Municipal Commissioner K. Rajendran says the solid waste management project has been handed over to a private firm since the beginning of September. The firm’s staff have been carrying out cleaning of streets and door-to-door collection of waste. “We have formed three teams for supervising these works. Once we overcome initial problems, there will see a visible transformation in the coming months,” Mr. Rajendran says.
