TIRUCHY: Almost a year ago, the Corporation had placed ‘Litter-Free Street’ (LFS) boards on 30 roads in the city to motivate residents to avoid littering in public places. However, this idea came to nought as waste continues to pile up on many city streets. Many residents blamed the Corporation for the failure of this pet project. “How can they expect streets to be free of litter after removing dumpsters? If they want residents to stop dumping waste in public places, they should place enough dumpsters. The Bin-Free City and LFS concepts cannot go together,” said Tennur resident and retired teacher Kamala Kannan.
Though several officials admitted the project turned out to be a failure, most avoided commenting on it. Some expressed the hope the situation would change in the future as several residents are handing over segregated waste to sanitation workers. “We are conducting awareness drives on garbage segregation and home composting. We would also take action against those dumping waste in public places and would have clean streets in the future,” an official said.
However, residents believe the idea would not work without sufficient litter bins. “If they want the public to avoid littering, they should provide sufficient bins in the city. They have removed the huge bins. Apart from this, how is it possible for all residents to give waste to sanitation workers?. The Corporation should first provide sufficient bins and then ask the residents to stop littering,” said Suresh Krishna, a resident. Sources aid the ivic body is unlikely to bring back dumpsters as ‘Bin-Free City’ is more prestigious than LFS.