Date:26/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/26/stories/2008052650680300.htm

Other States - Puducherry

No end to garbage dumping here

Serena Josephine. M

Photo: T. Singaravelou

Unending woes: Smoke emanating from garbage being burnt at Thengaithittu. —

PUDUCHERRY: Living amid mounds of garbage has become a routine for the residents of Thengaithittu and Uppalam. Series of complaints and repeated pleas to the local body authorities have failed to put an end to the unauthorised dumping of garbage at Thengaithittu.

For the last three years, residents of Thengaithittu and Uppalam have been grappling with stench and mosquitoes owing to non-stop dumping of garbage. Though the officials assure them of a permanent solution once the integrated solid waste management project at Kurumbapet comes through, checks to contain the dumping activities still evades.

“ Contract vehicles of the Puducherry Municipality dump the garbage on either sides of the road during night hours,” a resident of Uppalam said.

The mosquito menace was worse during rain, he added.

“The vehicles dump the garbage from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. every day making it difficult to check their entry. The stretch along the garbage dumping area is damaged badly and has not been laid for several months. It does not have streetlights too,” a resident of Thengaithittu said.

Puducherry Municipal Councillor of Ward 39, Thengaithittu S. Baskarane said, “Vehicles of both private contractors and the municipality dump the garbage here. The site allotted for garbage dumping is at Karuvadikuppam, but they do not go there owing to the distance factor.”

The Thengaithittu River has been choked with garbage, resulting in breeding of mosquitoes, he said. “We had blocked the vehicles a number of times. Last year, we pooled in money and cleared the garbage. But it has turned into a frightful sight again as heaps of garbage are strewn all over the area,” Mr. Baskarane said.

However, the officials said it was unauthorised dumping of garbage and private contractors were doing it without the knowledge of the authorities. “We had issued strict instructions to the private contractors not to dump the garbage at Thengaithittu. But they dispose of the garbage during nights,” an official said.

The government had already identified a site at Kurumbapet and a report had been submitted to the Central government for an integrated solid waste management project, he said.

“The project has been prepared at the cost of Rs. 47 crore. It is almost through and will include collection, transportation and disposal of garbage. We will convert most of the garbage into compost and the remaining non-degradable will be recycled,” he said.