Urban News

The Hindu 04.09.2009

Burning waste dump along road causes concern

Special Correspondent

COIMBATORE: The acrid smell of burning rubber and leather emanates from a huge heap of burning garbage, about 100 ft from Pollachi Main Road. Traffic was thrown out of gear on this road on Monday, as a thick cloud of smoke caused poor visibility.

No assurance

The dump was smouldering on Tuesday and there was no assurance that this incident would not recur.

“This is because the spot seems to be a dumping spot for disposing of huge amount of garbage,” Madukkarai Union Secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam V. Easwaran said. He called for steps to end this problem in a petition submitted to Collector P. Umanath on Monday.

Located a km from the Vinayaka Temple at Eachanari, before Pollachi Road-Nilambur Bypass Road junction, the dump had all kinds of discarded footwear made of rubber and leather.

A few sacks of yellow powder, suspected to be a chemical was found at two other spots in the same area that came under the Seerapalayam Panchayat.

Suspicions

There were suspicions that this waste was brought from the neighbouring State of Kerala, Councillor of Kurichi Municipality G. Mahalingam said. “But, the dumping and setting the waste on fire seem to be happening at night, as no one seems to have seen any vehicle bringing these here,” he said.

Mr. Easwaran asked: “If the waste had indeed come from Kerala, how could it reach here despite the check posts on the way?”

A little more than a km away, there was huge heap of discarded footwear along a bylane, off the bypass road. A person who ran a hotel nearby said the dumping should be happening late in the night as no one had seen it happening. But, the dumping was causing a lot of inconvenience to the public, he said.

Reckless

The MDMK activist and the councillor said reckless dumping and burning of garbage was widespread between the Kurichi Municipality and the Madukkarai Panchayat Union.

There were many spots, mostly open spaces along roads that were being used to dump all kinds of waste, including those from the chicken stalls.

The Hindu 03.09.2009

Mass cleaning in 21 wards of north zone

Staff Reporter

— Photo: K. Ganesan.

CONCERN: Mass cleaning camp under way in the city on Wednesday.

MADURAI: The Corporation on Wednesday began mass cleaning programme in 21 wards of north zone.

The Corporation Commissioner, S. Sebastine inaugurated the programme, in the presence of North Zone Chairman, K. Esakkimuthu, at DRO Colony.

The Commissioner said that increased usage of plastic carry bags and dumping of them in the open created more pollution. Limited number of sanitary workers in each ward was engaged in their daily garbage removal work from the dustbins. They could not collect the plastic bags that often got strewn around owing to wind.

Hence, to keep the environment clean, the mass cleaning had been proposed during which sanitary workers from several wards would be mobilised to work in select wards.

Besides cleaning the garbage and picking up plastic bags, they would remove blocks in drainage channels. The workers would also involve in fogging activities.

Mass cleaning would be taken up in all the 21 wards and completed in every street within 15 days. The sanitary workers would do mass cleaning in the afternoons after discharging their regular duty in the mornings.

Responding to a request from DRO Colony Residents’ Association secretary, F.V. Jayakumar, the Commissioner ordered officials to place dumper bins at vantage points in the colony so that the residents do not dump garbage in the open. Mr. Sebastine sought the cooperation of the residents in keeping the surroundings clean.

The Corporation has already distributed red and green dustbins in many places to collect segregated degradable and non-degradable waste from the houses.

The mass cleaning programme would continue in the wards in a cycle of 15 days. The City Health Officer, V. Yasodamani, Assistant Commissioner (North Zone), S. Chandrasekaran, were present.