CHENNAI: With illegal dumping of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste continuing in the city despite corrective measures by the civic body, the corporation is now gearing up to appoint area-based contractors in all 15 zones of the city.
After the scheme is launched soon, the residents will simply need to dial 1913, and the respective concessionaire will come and remove the waste from the area.
GCC Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran told TNIE that these contractors will provide a streamlined service by collecting C&D waste directly from residents free of charge and transporting it to designated disposal sites allocated by the GCC within their zones.
This initiative was implemented in ten zones in northern and southern regions on January 7, and it will be extended to all 15 zones by the end of this month.
Between January 7 and 18, the C&D waste concessionaire transported 8,484.58 tonnes of waste from the 10 zones.
“Illegal dumping has increased in recent years because the contractors tasked with clearing the waste had faced some legal hurdles. Now, by appointing area-based contractors in all zones and raising public awareness, we expect the issue to be mitigated soon,” Kumaragurubaran said.
“The public is not yet fully aware of how this initiative works, as it is still taking shape. Once the concessionaires are operational across all zones, we will officially launch the scheme,” he added.
The GCC is also in the process of identifying illegal dumping hotspots, and once the debris is removed from there, chain-link fencing will be installed to prevent further dumping at these locations.
Caution boards
Despite the GCC installing caution boards warning of legal action against those dumping C&D waste in Swami Sivananda Salai near Chepauk, the problem persists in the area. Shakthi (name changed), a local resident, said, “With each passing day, it’s becoming harder to walk along Sivananda Salai as the illegally dumped C&D waste spills over to the road. This is a major pathway connecting Marina Beach, Triplicane, and Anna Salai (Mount Road).”
“Hence, the debris is inconveniencing both pedestrians and motorists. The wastes are usually dumped at nighttime. Though there are CCTV cameras installed in the area, it’s unclear whether they are functioning. The authorities must clear the debris immediately and take action against the violators,” he further said.