Garbage woes in Kodambakkam

Susanna Myrtle Lazarus
Express News Service
Last Updated : 04 Jan 2012 08:35:32 AM IST

CHENNAI: Residents of Kodambakkam are a disgruntled lot as garbage collection in their area is dismal. The scene on the Station Border Road has been deteriorating from bad to worse since last month.

With the railway over bridge work in progress, the area is cluttered with iron rods and other construction material. Adding to the chaos are the overflowing dustbins and garbage heaped all along the stretch.

The stench is quite unbearable, and people passing by are forced to endure it, not to forget those whose houses are right opposite the dumping area. G Brindha, resident of Station Border Road, says, “Of late the public roads have become mini dumping yards. Our newly-elected Mayor, at the time of assuming charge, had promised that garbage cleaning would be accirded top priority, but no fruitful action seems to have been taken by the authorities.”

Residents blame the civic authorities, saying that in the absence of a bin, they have no other choice but to throw the garbage out on the road. “Obviously we cannot collect the rubbish and store it in our houses,” says Meenakshi, a housewife.

The lack of public sanitation facilities in the nearby slum in Aziz Nagar First Street is also felt, or rather smelt, quite keenly. The slum intersects three streets of Station Border Road, and each morning, the children use these street corners as toilets. There is just one dustbin for the entire slum.

Residents of Aziz Nagar say that they too have no other option but to throw garbage around the perennially-overflowing dustbin. On festival days, the accumulation of waste is huge, and sometimes even blocks the road they say. “We have complained to all authorities concerned, but there has been no response. We cannot live in the midst of this filth anymore,” say the residents.