Citizen connect: Public cry foul as Evening Bazaar reels under garbage mess

CHENNAI: While the civic body intensified the garbage cleanup drive in the city’s aftermath of Cyclone Michaung, the scenario at the Evening Bazaar Road in Parrys gives a contrasting picture.

The dustbins kept in the interior road at Evening Bazaar Road are in a mess with piles of waste, especially yet-to-be-cleared organic waste scattered on the road. This mess has irked the commuters passing through the area.

“The stretch is a complete mess filled with commercial waste adding to the already overflowing bins. Almost half the road is covered with garbage and though the sanitary workers clean the waste, within a few hours it returns to the same situation. We often spot stray animals grazing on the vegetable waste dumped on the road which poses a threat to the public,” said R Shankar, a commuter who visits Parrys regularly.

People complain that motorists have met with accidents as stray animals grazing the waste on the streets causing chaos and also traffic jams, especially during the peak hours.

Commuters are concerned that the irregularity of solid waste management contracts is one of the significant reasons for the poor sanitation in north Chennai.

“The commercial shop workers should also be conscious of keeping their surroundings tidy. However, they failed to maintain and leave the dustbins and garbage on the streets. In addition, open defecation is another common problem in the area. We are unable to stand in the bunk shop and the Greater Chennai Corporation has failed to impose a penalty against the individuals and act on solid waste management. In the end, it is the common public that gets affected, and no permanent solution is provided,” said U Thangaraj, a motorist.

An official from Royapuram (Zone 5) did not respond to the calls by DT Next.