Burning of solid waste along roadside goes unchecked

TIRUCHI

Indiscriminate dumping and burning of garbage along the Koothappar Village road near Jai Nagar in Tiruchi have raised apprehension of possible health hazards to the residents in the locality.

Dumping garbage along the roads is a conman sight in Tiruverumbur, and residents have grown accustomed to the stench that emanates from the dump. Most of the roadsides in the area have turned into burning sites, polluting the air in the vicinity.

It is alleged that some conservancy workers of the Corporation, instead of transporting the waste being collected from households to the micro compost yards, dump them along the road on some occasions and set fire to the garbage mounds.

“The garbage set on fire frequently causes pollution and is widely affecting people. Earlier they burnt the waste only at night but, recently garbage is being burnt here every morning. This appears to have become a practice among sanitation workers, but officials have taken no action yet,” said Mohankumar, a resident of Jai Nagar.

Residents claim that irregular garbage collection in households is the main reason for dumping waste in public places. “Since dustbins were removed in residential areas and solid wastes are not collected regularly, residents dump the waste along the road,” said R. Francis, a resident.

Heaps of garbage mostly, waste from households, eateries and restaurants have been found dumped along the roads. In addition, local vendors also dump leftover vegetable and fruit stock, attracting stray animals and rodents. “It is worrisome that some people use the road to dump the trash. The dumping of waste has largely gone unnoticed by the authorities, and one cannot escape the stench when we travel on the road,” he added.

When contacted, Corporation officials said they would inspect the area and levy penalties on the persons dumping and burning garbage.