TRICHY: Unable to stop residents from dumping waste at public spots, Trichy corporation has reintroduced kolam at littering-prone locations to prevent people from polluting the streets. It was after finding a positive outcome in five wards in recent days that the local body decided to expand the drive across the city.
Sanitary officials said that cleaning waste mounds at public places was only encouraging locals to dump waste again. As about 25-30 sanitary workers in a ward were engaged in cleaning the mounds apart from collecting waste at the doorstep, the secondary collection affects workers’ productivity and causes loss of resources including additional fuel expense. As the kolam initiative attempted in 2018 to bring about a behavioural change among litterers was successful until it was dropped, Trichy corporation reintroduced the measure in zone III three days ago. Ward numbers 16, 35, 36, 37 and 38 were chosen, where kolam patterns were drawn at one vulnerable spot each by sanitary workers.
“We are planning to cover all vulnerable spots on a rotational basis. People are dumping waste in plastic carry bags while going for work,” E Parasuraman, a sanitary official with the corporation, said. Although mini-trucks cover residential streets at least once in two days, officials said that residents are not cooperative. With the re-entry of kolam on littering zones, the civic body said that the place was clean and neat throughout the day. Officials are planning to write awareness messages to persuade people to keep the streets clean.
