COIMBATORE: Residents and social activists have raised concerns alleging negligence by sanitary workers employed by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) in waste collection and disposal.
T Kumaravel, a resident of Mullai Nagar, said, “There is a vacant land near our street that has turned into a dump yard. Sanitary workers leave garbage bags there regularly instead of taking them to the designated collection point. To make matters worse, they burn the trash when the garbage piles start growing, leaving us to deal with the smoke and terrible stench.”
Reacting to the recent viral video on sanitary workers dumping waste near a residential area at Chinnavedampatti and setting it on fire, S Vivin Saravan, a social activist, said, “Burning garbage releases toxic fumes that are harmful to health and the environment. Sanitary workers are extremely irresponsible in engaging in such practices. The CCMC must take immediate steps to educate and monitor its staff.”
Residents have also urged the civic body to implement stricter supervision of sanitary workers and ensure proper garbage disposal methods are followed.
They also said that awareness must be created among sanitary workers, stricter waste management protocols must be enforced to prevent further environmental damage, and health concerns must be implemented. Residents are hopeful that the CCMC will act swiftly to address the situation and ensure cleaner, safer surroundings.
Responding to the rising complaints, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran said, “We have received complaints regarding this matter, and I have instructed the concerned officials to take necessary action. Strict instructions will be given to sanitary workers, and necessary disciplinary actions will be taken against those found violating the guidelines. We shall ensure that similar incidents don’t take place in the future.”