Citizen Connect: Nuisance to pedestrians, residents as garbage flows out of rusted bins

Leaking garbage bins on the pavement of Vepery High Road in Periamet has become an eyesore and nuisance to pedestrians. The residents say that they are forced to walk on the road, which is already rife with encroachments, due to the garbage bins and an electricity board junction box on their pathway.

“The bottom part of the garbage bin, which located diagonally opposite to the Periamet Big Mosque, is rusted and damaged. Due to this garbage and slush seep out onto the road,” K Murali, a pedestrian said. When DT Next visited the spot, garbage was found scattered on the road near the garbage bin and the road wore a dirty look.

Murali added that several pavements on Vepery High Road have been encroached and it was very difficult to walk on the narrow road, negotiating the parked vehicles. The road is one of the major roads in the locality as it houses a school, women’s college, veterinary university and college apart from a big mosque.

“Unlike other roads in the area, this road witnesses higher pedestrian footfall. But, the government itself has encroached the road inconveniencing the residents,” he added.

Explicating the poor care by the local body authorities, there is another garbage bin near the bus stop opposite the Veterinary University, which also in very poor condition. A pool of slush was found around the garbage bin, emanating stench. Students and commuters, who wait for buses in the bus stop, have to put up with the poor sanitation.

A student urged the Chennai Corporation to clean the spot and place the garbage away from the bus stop. “We notice that many Corporation officials travel on the road. But they remain indifferent to the poor condition of the garbage bins,” she added.

Apart from garbage bins, the pavement is also encroached by protruding portions of the shops and homeless people. The residents demanded to shift the homeless people to the night shelters run by the city Corporation and free the pavements to facilitate the pedestrians.

When contacted a Chennai Corporation official, he said that even though the encroachments were removed several times, they have returned. “We will take action against the encroachers and replace damaged garbage bins,” he added.