MADURAI: After netizens, political parties are turning the heat on the Madurai corporation and keeping the “Dirty City” hashtag active. What began as an online campaign has turned into a street-level showdown.
The AIADMK has put up a series of striking posters across major junctions, lambasting the DMK government and the corporation for what it called “utter administrative failure” in maintaining cleanliness. The DMK’s ally CPM too has joined the chorus, but with a different target — its posters condemned “privatization” of sanitation services.
The corporation, however, insists that it has intensified cleanup operations. The deputy mayor recently said special measures are being taken to improve solid waste management in the city. Officials add that public cooperation is equally vital and said they must stop dumping waste in the open.
On the other hand, residents in areas that were annexed to the corporation paint a grim picture, complaining that the waste collection is irregular.
“The garbage collection vehicles sometimes skip our area; once in two days, the piled-up waste is cleaned up,” said Veera Manikandan, a resident of MMC Colony.
He added that with garbage piling up on the roadsides, stray dogs and cattle rummage through it and scatter it all over the area. Residents say instead of blaming each other, all political parties should work together to improve sanitation in the city.