M Rafi Ahmed
Much has been said and written about the bad odour emanating from lorries loaded with garbage passing through Karumbukkadai, Kurichi, Podanur to Vellalore dump yard on the outskirts of Coimbatore city. The stench from the vegetable wastes spreads throughout the residential locality during evening hours and lasts till late night causing health hazards. Worst affected are the elders and children who feel very uneasy.
The issue has been raised on several occasions by the councillors and the resident welfare associations at the appropriate forum. To one’s chagrin, the powers-that-be hardly took any action to ensure to get rid of the unpleasant smell from garbage. Words cannot express the amount of agony faced by the residents located in the surroundings of Vellalore dump yard where lorry loads of garbage are brought and dumped here.
To highlight the pathetic plight of residents, the AIADMK councillors-R Prabhakaran (Ward 47), D Ramesh (Ward 90) and Sharmila (Ward 38) attended the ordinary corporation meeting at Victoria Town Hall carrying basketful of garbage and armed with placards demanded cancellation of the tender given to a private party for garbage collection.
AIADMK members questioned the Corporation why tax should be collected when garbage isn’t collected at the doorsteps of the residents in the majority of the 100 wards in Coimbatore Corporation and they staged a demonstration in front of the council hall. Later, speaking to media persons, they said that the meeting is being convened after two months and pointed out that a tender for Rs 170 crore has been given to a private party for garbage collection.
All was fine until the garbage collection was with the Corporation health department. Soon after it was entrusted with the private party, things turned for the worse with lack of understanding with the Sanitary Officers (SOs) and Sanitary Inspectors (SIs). There is no love lost between the private party and the sanitary department sleuths as the concerned private party started to dictate terms to the SOs and SIs.
Since the entire manpower and vehicles have been absorbed by the private party, the SOs and SIs have been put in a spot to extract work from the private party. Sadly, the SOs and SIs become the scapegoat at the hands of the top honcho of the corporation, who pulls them each and every time by conducting a series of meetings even on Sundays. What’s the meaning in finding fault with the sanitary department officials when garbage collection has been entrusted with a private party.
It is learnt that about 200 garbage vehicles are under repair resulting in garbage collection hitting a roadblock. Now, the SOs and SIs are trying to set things right by getting the vehicles repaired by spending from their pockets. Seems like there isn’t a conducive work atmosphere in the Corporation as the sanitary department officials have loads of grievances. It needs two hands to make a sound. Better for the people at the helm to ensure things are set right before it goes from bad to worse.
