TIRUCHY: Reckless disposal of plastic bottles and waste materials into open drains have been affecting the city Corporation’s drive of desilting channels.
A section of ground-level workers said people who consume liquor carelessly throw empty bottles, plastic bottles and cups into open drains near TASMAC shops.
During heavy rain, the drains get clogged, leading to much discomfort in the entire area.
“We received complaints about overflowing drains. During inspection, we found plastic bottles, empty liquor bottles and waste inside the channel near Palakkarai bridge. We opened the channel and cleared the waste,” a Corporation worker said.
Workers also said they had faced this issue several times earlier. “Residents should stop throwing waste into open drains. The Corporation should also take steps to close the channels at all possible places. It should at least ensure that the channels near TASMAC shops are closed,” a sanitation worker said.
A Corporation official said, “Though we are carrying out desilting works in many channels, reckless disposal of waste continue to clog the drains. Our team is trying its best to tackle the issue by taking action against those who litter the space near open drains. However, it is difficult to pull up all of them. We need public cooperation to stop this issue.”
Murugan, a Corporation worker, said, “Desilting is almost like a never ending work, especially during the rainy season. Even if we desilt a drain, stormwater might bring waste from some other channel. So, if there is heavy waterlogging in some areas, we would have to ignore the rain and check the drains. The issue will end only if residents stop dumping waste in a careless manner.”