Nearly a year after the Tambaram Municipal Corporation handed over its solid waste management operations to a private agency, the city remains mired in a severe garbage collection crisis. The primary culprit: a large fleet of non-functional collection vehicles that has crippled daily operations, leading to widespread public discontent and health hazards.
Council Meeting Exposes Systemic Failure
The glaring issues came to the forefront during the corporation's council meeting on Monday. Councillors from various wards expressed deep dissatisfaction over a sharp decline in the efficiency of garbage collection witnessed over the past six months. They highlighted how the broken system is directly impacting public health and cleanliness.
Ward 46 councillor, A Ramani, presented a stark picture of the situation in her zone. "There is a huge shortage of vehicles in the zone," she stated. Ramani informed the council that the vehicles assigned to her area have been under repair for the last half a year. This prolonged breakdown has forced residents to dump household waste in open spaces and vacant plots, significantly increasing the risk of vector-borne diseases.
Ramani made an urgent appeal to the corporation administration, urging them to ensure daily door-to-door waste collection in all wards at the earliest to curb the growing public nuisance and health threat.
Mounting Garbage and Public Anger
The scale of the problem is massive. The Tambaram corporation generates approximately 450 tonnes of garbage every day. However, residents and welfare associations report that a significant portion of this waste remains uncollected across numerous localities. This failure of the primary collection system has resulted in illegal roadside dumping and the accumulation of rotting garbage piles.
M Gandhi, the president of the Pallavaram Residents Welfare Association, provided specific examples of the fallout. He pointed out that irregular and improper door-to-door collection in areas like Pallavaram, East Tambaram, and Chromepet is driving people to dispose of waste in local water bodies. Pallavaram Periya Eri, Nemilichery Lake, and Ramasamy Chetty pond are now bearing the brunt of this irresponsible dumping, leading to pollution and environmental damage.
Official Response and the Road Ahead
In response to the councillors' concerns, Tambaram Municipal Corporation Commissioner, S Balachander, addressed the council. He stated that the civic body currently operates 340 vehicles for garbage collection. Balachander claimed that the corporation had received no official complaint so far regarding the vehicle shortages or non-functionality.
Nevertheless, acknowledging the gravity of the allegations, the commissioner assured that all garbage collection vehicles would be inspected for their quality and functionality. This move is seen as a first step towards diagnosing the extent of the logistical failure that has plagued the privatised waste collection system for months.
The situation underscores a critical gap between the outsourcing of essential civic services and the on-ground execution. With public health at stake and civic norms deteriorating, residents await tangible action to restore efficient waste management in Tambaram.
