Poor waste management plagues Gerugambakkam, Kolapakkam Premium

Gerugambakkam and Kolapakkam in Kancheepuram district face waste management issues, affecting the environment and residents' quality of life.

Gerugambakkam and Kolapakkam are small panchayats in the Kundrathur block of Kancheepuram district. They are not on everyone’s radar. But if you are familiar with the area, you will know that they are quietly sitting just outside Porur.

With a short drive to an information technology park at Ramapuram, many employees working there have been residing here. These suburbs are a far cry from the chaos of the city, with a quiet, sleepy atmosphere, despite the increasing number of residential real-estate projects. On a typical Friday afternoon at Gerugambakkam and Kolapakkam, people are mostly indoors, trying to stay cool from the March sun. However, every few hundred metres, the roadsides are littered with garbage, and cattle roam freely.

One of the biggest complaints from residents is the issue of waste management. Dillibai, who lives near the Agatheeswarar Temple at Gerugambakkam, has seen this problem first-hand. “Waste collection is not regular. It is sporadic,” she says. “Sometimes, they come once every two days, sometimes not at all. And when that happens, people dump their garbage wherever they can.” She points to the piles of trash on the side of the road. The trash attracts stray dogs and turns the whole area messy.

The waste is an eyesore as well as a health concern. Dillibai says better waste management and a proper underground sewage system will help to fix the issue. On March 7, this correspondent saw the banks of the Adyar on Pallavaram Road at Gerugambakkam filled with solid waste, and cattle and pigs feeding on it.

If you follow Ponnambalam Salai, which branches out of the State Highways Road from Porur to Kundrathur and lead to these suburbs, you will notice a major canal flowing towards the Adyar. This canal, which should be carrying clean water, has become a sewage carrier. Residents say that without proper sewage infrastructure, people let sewage into the canal. The lack of a proper underground sewage system has created a vicious cycle of waste accumulation and environmental damage.

The issue affects not only the environment but also the quality of life for everyone living near the canal. The stench from untreated waste and the sight of stagnant, polluted water is unpleasant. The polluted water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, residents say.

Another common sight in both areas is the large number of cattle roaming freely on the streets. They’re not just stray cows; many of them are owned by locals. Dillibai says it has become a daily hassle. “The cows often wander into my shop, eating the vegetables I’ve left outside,” she says.