Construction debris on Demonte Road irks Santhome commuters

CHENNAI: In the recent council meeting, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) had issued new guidelines and also increased the penalty for violators to prevent them from dumping construction debris in public spaces like pavements, road sides and also on private properties in the city. But all of it seems to be ‘on paper only’, fume Santhome residents.

Commuters on Demonte Road, Santhome, lament over the construction waste being dumped on the side of the road, which connects Santhome High Road to Loop Road.

From the Light House, diverted vehicles passing Loop Road use Demonte Road to reach Santhome High Road. “The area where the waste is being dumped is located near schools. And, the waste has been piling up for more than two weeks. Despite repeated complaints, the Corporation hasn’t taken steps to clear it,” said R Ramesh, a civic activist. “The dumping of garbage is common on this stretch, and I’ve seen furniture wastes dumped in the area. Civic body officials must find the violators and penalise them heavily.”

According to GCC’s new rules, smaller waste must be kept in the respective premises until a vehicle is arranged to collect – whether it’s a private truck, or arranged by the GCC. If it’s not removed within seven days, the civic body would remove it, but after penalising the owner.

Despite several efforts from DT Next, the Corporation officials were not available for a comment.