Velachery stinks as uncleared garbage rots in mounds

CHENNAI: Several streets in Velachery are stinking due to poor garbage clearance even after Ramky Environment Engineers, the agency responsible, was given an extension of six months. Residents say garbage is not removed periodically.

In some areas, like around MGR Colony 2nd Main Road, residents are forced to complain on the corporation helpline for any clearance to happen. A stretch of the road, outside a corporation park, remains filled with garbage for days together as the three dumpsters kept there are almost never cleared.

“The garbage is thrown into the broken compactor bin. As it doesn’t get cleared every day, waste flows out and covers the entire spot. If periodic removal was done, this problem would never happen,” said T Krishnan, a resident of the area.

“In December, we gave petitions to replace broken bins that led to garbage flowing on to the street. But no action was taken,” he added.

When contacted, an official overseeing garbage clearance for ward 177 admitted operations had become slow as the term Ramky Enviro Engineers was to end next month. “It was supposed to end but now Ramky has been given an extension of six months. It will take a week to procure new machines and vehicles,” he said, adding that the street will be cleaned and garbage removed periodically.

Residents of Tansi Nagar also complain about the same problem. “There is only one worker for ten streets so street cleaning never happens. The compactor bins are not cleared periodically,” said M Balakrishnan.

An official from Ramky, when contacted, said they had been requesting corporation for new bins but were never provided. “Conservancy work is carried out periodically, but the volume of garbage generated is very high. The areas needing attention will be cleaned up,” he said.