CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation has begun clearing the construction and demolition (C&D) waste dumped illegally along the Perungudi-Velachery MRTS road. The move follows an article titled ‘All efforts go waste as debris dumping continues on Perungudi-Velachery road, published in TNIE on January 4.
S Kumararaja, president of Green Velachery said, “The GCC has cleared the debris in interior streets of Annai Indira Nagar and has started work on MRTS road stretch. We hope they will clear it entirely.”
Meanwhile, GCC has initiated a C&D waste cleanup drive across seven zones in the city by deploying 59 vehicles. Mayor R Priya, on Tuesday, flagged off these vehicles at the Ripon building. The zones covered in this phase include Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Anna Nagar, Teynampet, Kodambakkam and Adyar.
The drive, set to conclude within two weeks, employs eight bobcat vehicles, 15 tipper lorries, 15 excavators among others. The debris collected from these zones will be transported to disposal sites in Perungudi and Kodungaiyur.
In second phase, the works will be carried out in the eight zones including Thiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Ambattur, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Perungudi, and Sholinganallur, said an official release. The GCC’s solid waste management department has been conducting mass cleanup drives since August, targeting public spaces such as bus routes, interior roads, parks, burial grounds, bus shelters. It has now brought in removal of illegal construction debris in its ambit, ensuring the city’s cleanliness.
However, Speaking to TNIE, a DMK councillor said, “While GCC spends significant resources on private contractors to keep the city clean, these mass cleaning drives through which tonnes of waste are collected raise questions as to whether the contractors are regularly clearing the waste.”
A corporation official from Zone 13 told TNIE, “Though the clearing process has begun, it is a difficult task to prevent the illegal dumping of debris here.”