Private vacant site turns dumping ground in Noombal

CHENNAI: Residents and commuters have urged the local body to remove piled-up garbage and stagnated sewage in the empty space at Thiruveedhiyamman Koil Street in Noombal. The site belongs to a private party.

They lament over the health risk it poses especially to children and senior citizens, as the garbage has not been cleared for over six months.

“The door-to-door garbage collection has not been done on a daily basis. Though the municipality authorities are aware of the situation, they have not taken any effort to clear the waste. Garbage has been piling up in this place for almost six months. Considering the number of residents in this colony, it’s pitiful that they have to live in such an unhygienic environment,” fumed V Kumar Raja, a resident.

Residents pointed to the lack of civic sense among people, as waste is dumped on the plot though there were dustbins at every street corner. After multiple complaints, the civic body removed the garbage a few times, but they have not intensified cleaning work.

“The so-called clean-up work was for namesake only. The situation worsens during when it rains, as rainwater stagnates in the plot emanating an unbearable odour. We cannot cross this place without a mask. Since we pass through this road regularly we’ve fallen sick often. Additionally, the empty plot has turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and become a health threat for all the residents here,” rued Senthil Kumar, a civic activist.

Residents have urged the civic authorities to issue notice to the owner of the vacant land and construct a compound wall, ensuring they maintain it properly. Also, they also suggest imposing a penalty against those who dump waste in the space instead of handing it over to cleanliness workers.

When contacted, an official with Thiruverkadu municipality said that waste has been removed from the land, and also ensured the remaining would be cleared at the earliest.