Plastic waste and debris choke Trustpuram canal

“The vehicle flow on the narrow lane is high and many of them dump garbage in plastic bags on the road and even into the canal. as the canal is on the same level as the road, the chances of people falling into the canal are high, especially the many school children who take the road to walk to school. During peak hours, it is scary to ride on this stretch,” said Murali N, a resident of Bajanai Koil street.

Locals pointed out that debris from nearby construction sites is also is being dumped in the canal. The garbage is chocking the waterbody.

“We have been facing this issue for more than a year and the officials have taken no action to clean the canal. We have filed complaints with corporation officials, but nothing has changed yet. In June, PWD officials had visited the place and discussed desilting the canal and promised they would start the work before the monsoon. We want the officials to remove the garbage from the canal and restore it soon,” said Kumaraswamy R, another resident.

Residents claimed that sewage water was being mixed into the canal earlier and the place was even worse. After filing many complaints, the officials stopped sewage entering the canal six months ago. But they have not taken any steps to clear the garbage.

When contacted, a senior PWD official said, “The desilting and restoration of lakes and canals have started. By the end of this year, the work is expected to be completed.”