Dumping of waste in open irks Tansi Nagar residents

CHENNAI: Despite sanitary workers collecting garbage every day and dustbins are placed at Tansi Nagar in Velachery, locals dump waste, tree branches and plastic items on the road making the place messy. The mosquito menace is a nightmare during monsoon season in that area. The zonal official stated that fines were imposed against the residents who don’t segregate waste and dump garbage on the road.

M Balakrishnan, General Secretary, Tansi Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association said that even though door-to-door garbage collection is done daily, people are too lazy to segregate waste and dump it near the bin placed on the street. “If there are broken tree branches or locals are vacating from here, the residents keep the left-over items next to the trashcan. The street looks messy when the waste is spread all over the place till the sanitary workers clean them,” added Balakrishnan.

The sanitary workers have difficulty clearing the waste, as it is easier for both workers and residents to segregate garbage daily. During the rainy season, plastic waste floats and causes blockage in the drains, which leads to water stagnation in the area. Also, animals are spotted consuming plastics that are hazardous to their health.

“Residents are conscious of keeping their houses tidy but not their surroundings. Through the association, several awareness programmes were created to educate the locals and additionally, we have decided to place a banner near the bin not to litter the street. Unless the civic authorities take severe action against the concerned person, locals will continue to pollute the locality,” said R Sivakumar, another resident of Tansi Nagar.

When contacted, Zonal officers stated that garbage collection is monitored regularly, if any resident fails to segregate waste or dump waste on the road. They impose Rs 100 as penalty.