Inadequate waste collection system in Udhagamandalam is forcing local residents to dump garbage along roadsides and into forest areas.
Over the last two weeks, residents from across the town have been complaining about the lack of door-to-door waste collection by the Udhagamandalam Municipality. The system, which was introduced a few years ago by then Collector J. Innocent Divya, had been working satisfactorily till the beginning of June, when the waste collection work was outsourced to a private contractor.
Municipal officials say that the number of sanitary staff employed has also been reduced by the contractor, leading to snags in the collection system.
According to V. Geetha, a resident of Rose Mount, the staff tasked with collecting waste turn up only once every three to four days. “As garbage is piling up inside our homes, we have to throw it into the nearby reserve forest,” she said.
Residents in Fern Hill also complain that the garbage collection happens late in the morning and sometimes just before afternoon. “My husband and I have to go to work, so if the garbage collection vehicles do not turn up early enough, we have no other option but to dump the waste onto the road, for which the municipality threatens to fine us,” said a resident of Fern Hill.
When contacted, Municipal Commissioner P. Yegraj admitted that the municipality had been receiving complaints, but said it was working with the contractor to study the reasons for the hassles in waste collection. “We are working towards streamlining the waste collection system in Udhagamandalam, and are confident of resolving the issues soon,” he said.
