Coimbatore that never Sweeps

COIMBATORE: It is a classic case of pot calling the kettle black. The city corporation, which has gone on an overdrive to penalise residents for keeping their surroundings dirty, has miserably failed in removing garbage piling up across the city.

Garbage bins are overflowing, streets are stinking and stray dogs are having a field day on the mounds of waste. Meanwhile, the civic body is blaming the sanitary workers' strike, which has been withdrawn and the lack of funds, for the civic paralysis.

On Dr Nanjappa Road, all that one can see is garbage. It is strewn across the road to an extent of several feet. The condition of the road adjoining Nanjappa Road and the flyover underbridge is even worse. Garbage has been dumped for nearly 10 metres from the bin reaching entrance of nearby houses. "You can not find even a single street in the city without garbage overflowing from bins. It is a pathetic sight. We claim to win laurels in solid waste management. But, a few days' of workers' strike causes so much discomfort to the residents," said Bala M, a resident of Ram Nagar.

S Sreekala, a resident of Podanur, told TOI that the situation has been similar for several years. "I had to call up corporation officials every time garbage bins overflow in the area. Sanitary workers never come on time. Unless we call and complain, the bins are not cleared," she said.

The city corporation, that should have 4,174 sanitary workers, currently has only half of the workers. It is not just the lack of manpower that mars the corporation's ability take steps for a better administration. While as per the norms the city requires 208 sanitary supervisors, with one supervisor to oversee 20 workers, it has only 83. Due to this, sanitary inspectors are forced to take up ward-level responsibilities. The civic body is also falling short by 500 push carts to clear garbage.

"These problems have been persisting for the past several years. Several RTI replies had revealed that the corporation does not have the sufficient infrastructure. Even at the National Green Tribunal, they always manage by stating they are taking up innovative measures," said V Easwaran of MDMK.

Not only waste management, the corporation has failed to carry out other civic responsibilities as well, allege activists. Vijayalakshmi, a resident of R S Puram, said the civic body needs to focus more on cleaning public buildings and public places such as roads. "Once in 15 days, officials come to our residence to check cleanliness. But, it is the public places that they should concentrate on. While we are responsible for our homes, they should take responsibility for public places. All the newly-constructed stormwater drains have turned breeding grounds for mosquitoes," she said.

Meanwhile, corporation officials said they had sent a proposal for procurement of push carts and new bins. "The current situation will improve as workers have rejoined work," said executive engineer of west zone and in-charge of solid waste management in the city Saravana Kumar.City health officer K Santhosh Kumar said that waste generation was up by 100 tonnes a day during the holidays due to Diwali. "All garbage bins will be cleared and the routine process will be in place within three days,," he promised.