CHENNAI: The sore sight that welcomes one at VP Hall Compound Road, Moore Market, not very far from Ripon building, is a mini garbage dump yard. Garbage mainly consisting bio-waste including plastic, construction and cloth waste has been discarded out in the open by the Corporation itself and has been left uncollected for more than a week, say the locals there.
For every Zone under the GCC limits, the waste collected in its jurisdiction has to be segregated and taken to its divisional composting units on the same day. However, it is not the case here.“The waste comes from nearby buildings, mainly the Railway Cooperative Bank and the markets in the area. The tri-cycles collect them from elsewhere and dump it here in the open. It gets rotten and stinks,” says Meenakshi S, a scrap vendor in the neighbourhood.
VP Hall Compound, adjacent to the Chennai Central suburban railway terminal, is a hub for second-hand products. Computers, watches, mobile phones, clothes, shoes and even building and gym equipment are sold there. “There, garbage is dumped during the nights and it comes from various locations. Since this spot is isolated from the main road, it has become ideal for the Corporation garbage collectors to dump it here,” says Ramesh M, a vendor. He says that the garbage is removed by big lorries once every week, that too mostly when some “top officials” cross the road and file a complaint.
On the left side of the road is Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, while on the right is the Siaa Grounds. Several office spaces belonging to the Southern Railways are also located on the road. Squatters there say that there have been no proper garbage disposal bins for more than 30 years. “If there was one garbage bin, it would be sufficient for the locals. The Corporation must stop bringing garbage from other areas and dumping it here,” shares Suma S, who has been living there for 50 years.
When Express visited the spot, we observed that several Corporation officials walked along the road unmindful of the mini dump yard. Battery-operated vehicles which collect garbage too did not stop by to remove the garbage. Speaking to Express, a civic body official said that the Corporation would send staff to clear the dump and ensure that further garbage is not dumped there. “We will ensure that the waste is segregated and sent to the divisional composting units,” said the official.