The roadsides in the district are fast becoming a dump yard for polythene and plastic waste.

Commercial
establishments and a few local administrations are dumping huge amount
of water bottles, polythene bags thinner than 40 microns, tea cups and
water sachets on the roadsides, causing irreversible damage to the
environment.

“Heaps of non-biodegradable waste are
finding their way to the roadsides as the authorities here are yet to
establish a proper waste disposal mechanism. A majority of the local
bodies, including the Erode Corporation, have not even implemented the
solid waste management programme fully. The local administrations also
failed to monitor or initiate any action against the commercial
establishments that dump the non-biodegradable waste on the roadsides,”
consumer rights activist R. Balasubramanian says.

Tea
stalls, bakeries, restaurants and hotels are the major plastic waste
generators. Some of these establishments regularly dump the waste on the
roadsides, points out S. Parthiban, a resident of Gobichettipalayam.

Shopkeepers,
however, claim that they are left with no option but to dump the waste
on the roadsides as the local administrations have failed to ensure a
daily collection at the doorsteps.

“The local
administration has also failed to place adequate number of collection
bins. The sanitary workers turn up once in four days to collect waste.
As a result, we are forced to dispose the used tea cups and other waste
on the roadsides or vacant places,” says the owner of a tea stall in
Erode town on condition of anonymity.

Though people
have taken this issue to the notice of the officials in the local
administrations, no fruitful efforts have been made to sort out the
problem. Only last month, the Erode Corporation came up with the
proposal to collect charges from the bulk generators of garbage. But the
proposal is yet to be implemented.

Other local
bodies are yet to initiate any steps to prevent the dumping of plastic
waste on the roadsides and ensure its proper disposal.

The
civic administrations should launch a drive and initiate stern action
against those using or dumping polythene bags, plastic tea cups and
water bottles on the roadsides. “The authorities should also ban the
manufacturing and sale of plastic tea cups,” Mr. Balasubramanian said.