Urban News

The Hindu 17.12.2009

Municipal workers dump garbage at hospital entrance; patients, doctors worst affected

Staff Reporter

DINDIGUL: Large quantum of garbage was thrown at the south gate of the Government Hospital preventing patients from entering into it on Wednesday morning, thanks to a persistent cold war between the municipal sanitary workers and the government headquarter hospital workers.

Out patients and doctors were the worst affected. Out patient ward, Ortho ward, Office of the Resident Medical Officer, AIDS counselling centre were located very close to this south gate. No one cleared the garbage for over four hours.

Eye witnesses, mostly autorickshaw drivers alleged that municipal sanitary workers collected garbage scattered near the hospital compound and dumped it on the south entrance intentionally.

When contacted, the sanitary workers stated that they had been appealing to the hospital staff and workers to dump all wastes into the two big dumpers kept near the south gate. But they had been throwing wastes around the dumpers forcing municipal workers to collect it and dump it again everyday. People coming to hospital too threw food waste and empty food packets around the dumper only. No one had the patience to throw wastes into the dumper, they deplored.

Unable to tolerate the foul smell emanating from it, van operators and autorickshaw drivers repeatedly complained to the municipality to clean the waste scattered around the dumper.

The municipality too sent letters and reminders to the hospital authorities to advise its staff to dump the wastes into the dumper and not to throw them around the dumpers. The hospital workers and public were reluctant and repeated the same practice.

Tired of collecting the scattered garbage everyday morning from around the dumpers, the sanitary workers removed wastes in the dumper safely and threw all the scattered waste at the entrance of the south gate to express their protest and anger. Municipal officials informed that the hospital showed scant respect to their genuine request.

In the meanwhile, the district administration advised the hospital authorities to initiate stern action against erring hospital sanitation workers. Later hospital workers pushed the waste to a side of the road to enable the public to walk. At last, the wastes were removed.

The Hindu 17.12.2009

Corporation firm on removing unauthorised structures

Special Correspondent

Photo: M. Periasamy

EQUIPPING THEM: Mayor R. Venkatachalam (second right) handing over equipment for the removal of unauthorised constructions to the special demolition squad of the Coimbatore Corporation on Wednesday. —

COIMBATORE: By procuring more equipment, the Coimbatore Corporation is conveying to building owners in the city that the drive against unauthorised structures is not only being sustained but also stepped up.

The Corporation has bought five drillers costing about Rs.40,000 each and two cutters costing about Rs.50,000 each to demolish structures that have come up in violation of building rules.

Structures

While adherence to the rules is one objective of the drive, facilitating smooth flow of traffic is the other.

Unauthorised structures built on spaces meant only for parking of vehicles are the prime target of the drive.

This is aimed at reducing space for parking and increasing it for traffic flow on the roads.

The special squad is headed by Town Planning Officer M. Soundararajan.

Assistant Town Planning Officers S. Ravichandran (North and West Zones), T. Bhuvaneshwari (East Zone) and D.T. Jothilingam (South Zone) co-ordinate the demolitions.

The equipment was handed over to the special squad for demolition formed by Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra. The drillers and cutters helped in speeding up the demolition process.

A 10-member team of workers that breaks down the structures was provided with uniform and other equipment such as cable cutters.

Armed with all these, the squad swooped on a commercial building that had allegedly encroached two cents at a busy traffic junction near Alvernia School on Tiruchi Road.

Traffic

The building housed a hotel and fish stall and it impeded smooth flow of traffic by causing the formation of a blind curve.

“We will form a bell mouth access at this spot to enable clear visibility and accident-free flow of traffic,” Assistant Town Planning Officer S. Ravichandran said.

Apart from the Commissioner, Mayor R. Venkatachalam, Deputy Mayor N. Karthik, Town Planning Officer M. Soundararajan, South Zone Chairman P. Pynthamil, West Zone Chairman and member of State-level Encroachment Removal Committee V.P. Selvaraj and Town Planning Chairman P. Krishnamoorthi were present when the equipment were handed over.