Chennai: Residents have expressed concern over a vacant piece of land on Ramanujam Iyer Street in Old Washermenpet, which has now turned into a garbage dumping yard. The street is located near the Sir Thyagaraja Metro station and hundreds of regular commuters and office goers are upset with the garbage constantly piling up in the area. Civic activists are urging the Chennai Corporation officials to come up with a permanent solution. According to residents, the land is private property which was returned to the owner by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) after the completion of the metro work. For the past few years, restaurant owners, residents and passersby have been dumping garbage on this vacant piece of land. Ramesh Ramdas, a resident of Old Washermenpet and civic activist, alleged, “This open space near Sir Thyagaraya Metro Station has become a dumping ground for wet waste. The stench is unbearable and the place has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Residents living nearby have been having sleepless nights due to the mosquito menace. Poor solid waste management on the road has caused great inconvenience. There is an increasing risk of viral fever spreading.” Hundreds of regular commuters from the area use Ramanujam Iyer Street to commute to Tiruvottiyur High Road and other areas. Pedestrians cannot tolerate the stench while crossing this particular road. Agreeing with him, another resident said, “Only once in three days do the sanitation workers clear the garbage on the road. Moreover, no dustbins have been placed either.” When contacted by DT Next, a senior zonal-level official said, “If it is private land, we impose fines on landowners who do not fence the land. Since the SWM work in the zone is being carried out by a private company, we will request the concerned authorities to clear the garbage from the vacant land.”
Chennai: Vacant land in Old Washermenpet turns into a garbage dump
