CHENNAI: As the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) amplified its mass cleaning drive across the city over the last few weeks, at least 3,000 abandoned vehicles were dumped in the corporation depot.

The local body is waiting for the no objection certificate (NOC) from the police for auction.

“Recently, the mass cleaning drive has been intensified to remove the garbage, debris and abandoned vehicles parked on the road.

The removed junk is kept in the depot owned by the city corporation, and we require an NOC from the police.

It has been issued to clear 110 abandoned vehicles so far, and the auction was completed for the same in the city,” said GCC commissioner J Kumaragurubaran.

Police would issue the NOC only after checking the crime records for these 3,000 vehicles, “It might take two to three months for an auction.

But, several roads in both bus route roads and interior roads are free from the abandoned vehicles that were disrupting the traffic,” added the commissioner.

The abandoned vehicle drive is one of the announcements made during the corporation budget session in the fiscal year 2023 – 2024 by Mayor R Priya following multiple grievances raised by the city’s ward councillors and the public.

The civic body commenced action on this issue on September 1, 2023.

Following the GCC commissioner’s order, abandoned vehicles will be vigorously removed across the city.

The removed vehicles are kept at corporation-owned premises in respective zones. Unclaimed vehicles will be auctioned based on NOCs obtained.