COIMBATORE: Days after Deepavali celebrations ended, several parts of the city continue to remain littered with garbage as a large number of sanitary workers of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) have not yet returned to duty after festival holidays.
Mounds of waste have accumulated along major roads and residential areas, putting residents at an inconvenience and raising hygiene concerns. With many garbage bins removed from the streets as part of the city's 'binless' initiative, residents have been left with no choice but to dump household waste in the open.
In several neighbourhoods, even workers who have reported back to duty have been forced to leave the collected garbage on the roadside, as dump trucks are yet to resume regular ward-level collection trips. Residents say the situation has worsened over the past few days. "We were told that garbage would be cleared each morning, but it has been lying here for almost a week now," K Suresh, a resident of ITI Nagar, said. "Stray dogs are tearing the bags apart, and the stench has become unbearable."
Another resident from Sai Gardens, S Mohanapriya, expressed frustration over the lack of contingency arrangements. "We understand that workers need time off for Deepavali, but the corporation should have brought in alternate staff or made temporary arrangements. The entire area has been stinking and looks neglected," she said.
CCMC sources said, "A large section of contract and daily-wage sanitary workers took extended leave during the festival. Most are expected to resume duty within the next two days, after which normal waste collection will resume," the official said.
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran said, "Only about 60% of the sanitary workforce have returned back to work after Deepavali holidays. Therefore, with the current available workforce, we've been working in full swing to clear garbage piles dumped on streets across the city. A majority of waste dumped in the open have been cleared by officials. Within a day or two, all the remaining waste will be cleared completely."
