Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Garbage here, where is the bin?

Amutha Kannan

`Having a broad road seems to be a disadvantage'

A CLEAN ATTEMPT: Corporation workers trying to clear a small portion of the garbage strewn on the roadside at Puliakulam in the city. — PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

Coimbatore: For those entering Puliakulam Road to avoid the zipping traffic on the parallel Trichy Road, it might be a welcome break. But for the residents, the road does not have much to offer. For one, the condition of the road is appalling. Next is the problem of waterlogging. Last, but not the least, is the almost 200 metre stretch of garbage lying by the side of the road, due to non-availability of garbage containers.

The stretch that lines the compound wall of the Missionaries of Charity has been the garbage dumping ground for many years. The last time a garbage container was found in this location was almost two years ago.

Corporation workers, who collect garbage from the houses in a pushcart, use this as a dumping yard. They claim that garbage collected from Trichy Road, Kamaraj Road, Appuswamy layout and all the small connecting lanes are being dumped on the roadside for want of a proper disposing facility. All the eight pushcarts that collect garbage from the houses in this and the neighbouring areas use this stretch everyday.

Of course, a Corporation truck clears the garbage on a regular basis. But when the truck moves away more than half remains. The garbage is often found spilling on to the road. With the onset of monsoon, there is the stench one has to bear with while passing by. "We have been putting up with the stench and the mosquitoes for many years. We are also forced to dispose of garbage in this place, because there is no bin available. In addition, we have the residents of the Kallukuzhi area (right across the road) who use the area as an open lavatory," lamented Sister Superior of the Missionaries of Charity.

The chicken, mutton and beef stall owners too, dump their waste in this place. But they too do not have a choice. The adjoining road remains clean; thanks to the Redfields Residents' Welfare Association that ensures that no garbage is dumped on their road. "Having a broad road seems to be a disadvantage. The roadside is being conveniently used as a garbage dump. Unless we have permanent bins installed the problem is going to persist," says a resident of Puliakulam Road. Some say that the containers that were installed were shifted to some other ward, while some others were of poor quality that they too got loaded on to the corporation truck as waste.

The corporation workers have a difficult time clearing the garbage. One can hope that the garbage will be cleared during the intensive sanitation drive that the Coimbatore Corporation has taken up this week. But what happens when the drive is over? Without containers or bins, people are going to continue using this as a dumping yard. " The Engineering section will provide new bins in areas where they are required," said the City Health Officer, M. Thangaraj.

But, when they would be in place remains a million dollar question.

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