COIMBATORE: Residents of Kavundampalayam in Coimbatore city have raised concerns after some unidentified people from Mullai Nagar have been dumping waste into the Sanganoor Channel under the overbridge and setting them on fire.
There are over 100 houses in Mullai Nagar. Despite sanitary workers collecting garbage door to door in the area regularly, some people have been dumping waste into the channel and setting it on fire. Smoke from the burning garbage has caused difficulties for those residing nearby.
Sanitary officials are unable to identify the miscreants. Voicing concerns, environmentalists and residents have urged the civic body to take action.
D Rajasekaran, a resident of the area, said, “Some people throw garbage under the bridge often. Despite advising them multiple times to refrain from doing so, they continue to do so. They have now gone a step further and set the garbage on fire from which smoke engulfs nearby houses causing respiratory issues and other skin-related problems. Officials must find these culprits and take action against them.”
A CCMC official from the sanitary section told TNIE, “We have been raising awareness about waste segregation and handing it to sanitary workers during door-to-door collection. We have also issued warnings to the people through loudspeakers. Apart from that, a warning board is also installed on both sides of the bridge. Despite these measures, some people are burning waste. We don’t know how to identify them. Maybe we shall try and install CCTV cameras in the area and file police complaint against those spotted dumping waste.”
It was only recently the garbage dump at Vellaore caught fire, leading to air pollution.