Chennai
For residents of Gandhi Road, Velachery, the issue stems from broken bins. The bin next to Sakthi Towers has a gaping hole on the side and what you dump goes right out, forming a pile of trash surrounding the bin.
“This has been an issue over the past few weeks, made worse by rain. Since the hole is turned to the side, people who dump garbage cannot see it if they do not pay attention. The bins are also few in number, so residents and passers-by end up using the broken bin no matter what shape it is in. The piling garbage spreads a stench, too,” said Rohit, a resident of the road.
With garbage flowing out, the traffic on the road ensures that the overflowing waste doesn’t just stagnate in one spot. Bikes and cars inadvertently drag the bags of waste thrown into the bin and the waste gets spread across the road. Such unsanitary conditions are exposing the public to diseases that are spread by germs and mosquitoes. The leachate from the waste also mixes with rainwater.
“I don’t see the importance of smart cities when we cannot get basics, such as this, right. We need to have a functional infrastructure for the public to use. If people on an entire road are using broken bins, what use is developing an app for grievances if these things cannot be addressed quickly,” asked Sreekumar, another resident of Gandhi Road.
Repeated attempts to contact Zonal officer (in charge) R Nehru Kumar went unanswered.
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