Tamil Nadu - Salem   

Heaps of garbage, choked drainages plague Salem

— Photo: P. Goutham

Lies uncleared: Garbage piles up on Brindhavan Road 4th Cross in Salem.

SALEM: Mounds of garbage, heavily choked drainage channels, mosquito menace and dirt-filled roads continue to plague the city residents in the wards where the sanitary works have been privatised.

Though the sanitary conditions in all the 60 wards remain poor, residents say that privatisation of sanitary works in 21 wards would solve the knotty issue as the civic body is largely understaffed. But despite privatisation the sanitary conditions in these wards remain poor leaving the residents to face hardships.

Residents vociferously charge that the private firm, Swachatha Corporation, which has bagged the contract for carrying out sanitary works in 21 wards, has failed to provide total sanitation. Even removing garbage and cleaning drains in the allotted areas are grossly inadequate.

The civic administration has also failed in its duty to monitor the works undertaken by this firm, which is concentrating on main thoroughfares only. The streets in almost all the parts have been neglected.

In several parts, garbage remains uncleared for days together stinking and causing health hazards. The drains remain heavily chocked. Wastewater overflows from the drains even during light showers. The mosquito menace has increased to an alarming level. The number of fever cases reported at the Corporation and private hospitals also has increased in the last few weeks, residents allege.

When contacted, manager of the firm Baskaran denied the charges and claimed that the firm was facing problems at garbage disposal. The dump yards of the Corporation did not have any space to dispose the fresh garbage. “We will take necessary steps to streamline the cleaning works,” he says.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

‘Bankers ignoring directives on loan disbursal’
Heaps of garbage, choked drainages plague Salem
Mounds of garbage, heavily-choked drainages continue to plague city
Power shutdown
Make education loans easily available
Cooperative department opens super markets

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu