Vellore denizens left in lurch as glass, e-waste pile up

VELLORE: Lack of awareness among cleanliness workers has resulted in glass and e-waste not being picked up from the houses in Vellore town, sources revealed.

Otteri resident J Kavitha said “We have been requesting cleanliness workers for over two years to take away a broken glass table, but they are yet to do it. I do not want to throw it on the street as it might injure stray dogs and passersby.”

The locality also has problems with accumulated e-waste which presently is dumped on empty plots.

A source quipped “what is easy is that when dumped e-waste is covered by construction waste everybody is happy as nobody is affected.”

A senior sanitation officer when asked said “lack of awareness among cleanliness workers is the main reason they refuse to collect glass and e-waste. Glass has no value and hence they refuse to take it.”

Many localities are plastered with corporation notices warning public against dumping/littering waste on roads without handing it over to cleanliness workers, “the local body should first educate its personnel on what should be collected and how” said an irate resident who refused to reveal his name.

When corporation commissioner P Ashok Kumar was asked about this, he said both glass and e-waste should be collected by cleanliness workers.

“Glass waste has good value as glass waste segregated at the bio-mining yard at Saduperi sells for Rs. 3,000 per tonne.”

Asked about e-waste he said, “a Chennai-based private agency has been tasked with collecting this waste from us.” When told about the reluctance of cleanliness workers to collect the same from residents, he said “I will issue necessary instructions in this regard so that e-waste is also collected from residents.”