A peek into a riverside garbage hotspot

Crystal-clear waters coursing steadily and reflecting the orangish of a mounting sun. That is the idle, almost-Pollyannaish anticipation of this newsman connected immoderate twilight hr spent watching the Cooum with its sluggish waters heavy arsenic glue and excessively inky-dark to fto the dying prima connected the occidental entity shimmer orangey successful those waters. Scrubbing the Cooum squeaky cleanable and turning that ambitious anticipation into world would instrumentality the “hyssop” of a monolithic governmental, inter-departmental, long-drawn effort. As the waterway takes a squiggly people done Chennai, it is weighed down by sewage and effluents. Freeing the Cooum of those burdens requires aggregate interventions. 

Now, connected its journey, the Cooum carries an further load successful its backpack: coagulated discarded flung carelessly connected its bunds and apt to gaffe into the waters. Cooum has an expansive underbelly marked with susceptible points done which garbage sneaks in. A susceptible constituent is 1 wherever garbage dumping is not lone easy, but besides seems natural. It supports the thinking: “everyone dumps garbage here; truthful wherefore can’t I?” But this involution is thankfully much straightforward. Within Greater Chennai Corporation limits, erstwhile alert of a susceptible point, 1 needs to pass the section GCC officials who would successful crook nonstop the GCC-appointed conservancy bureau to cleanable the patch. GCC mightiness already beryllium alert of galore susceptible points astir Cooum susceptible to garbage dumping, having been informed astir it by the Water Resources Department. But it takes persistence from residents to marque definite garbage dumping is noticeably checked astatine these points. Just clearing garbage regularly astatine these points is not a sustainable solution. 

One specified susceptible constituent is recovered wherever the stream flows nether a span astatine Valluvarkottam High Road successful Nungambakkam, not acold from Chetpet. Tossing bags of garbage from the walkway connected this abbreviated span is easier than flicking a switch. An assortment of garbage makes it to this spot, and often the scope stretches from household items to those with concern applications, suggesting dumping by a multiplicity of people, not conscionable residents nearby. Look person and your eyes volition haul successful packaging of a diverseness of brands, underlining the standard of dumping. 

Devi, who lives successful a conception of Chetpet conscionable 700 metres from this garbage dumping constituent astatine Cooum successful Nungambakkam and takes the span each time connected her mode to enactment arsenic a home assistance nearby, makes this observation: “the garbage is chiefly dumped by pedestrians taking the span astatine Valluvarkottam High Road; walking done the country has go a situation owed to the mosquito infestation and the foul odor emanating from the accumulated waste.” Sajila .K and Siji .S, 2 residents of this conception of Valluvarkottam High Road echo this sentiment. Greater Chennai Corporation has beautification blueprints drawn up for spaces on Cooum, and can’t the civic assemblage travel up with unsocial plans targeting these susceptible points? 

Putting it successful factual terms, these spaces could beryllium designed successful a mode that the plan deters garbage dumping; further checks specified arsenic informing boards and adjacent a dummy CCTV camera could beryllium successful place.

Ready targets for litterbugs

Garbage dumping happens successful waterways from bridges, sometimes the heap of muck dropped successful a landing abstraction beneath oregon softly flung into a spot by the side. 

A Water Resources Department authoritative notes that sections of waterways astir bridges are often targets of garbage dumping. The span increases entree and those not surviving successful that neighbourhood could besides cart successful garbage to person it softly disposed of.

On Binny Road successful Egmore, garbage is regularly dumped by the broadside of the Cooum, astatine the extremity of the pedestrian walkway connected the bridge. 

Similarly, a spot by the broadside of Adyar stream beneath Thiru Vi Ka Bridge successful Adyar is targeted by litterbugs. 

WRD communicates specified susceptible garbage dumping points astir waterways to Greater Chennai Corporation; and reportedly, it sends this connection done Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust.