Dumping of construction debris on vacant plots rampant in Tiruchi

Tiruchi faces health hazards due to indiscriminate dumping of waste on vacant plots despite civic body's warnings.

Indiscriminate dumping of solid waste and construction debris on vacant plots continues unabated in the residential areas despite repeated appeals by the Tiruchi Corporation to owners of the poorly maintained lands.

Although the civic body had taken steps to clean the poorly maintained vacant plots and penalise the owners to prevent the menace, the owners continued to flout the directives of the officials.

In 2022, the civic body started placing banners in ill-maintained plots, warning the owners of stern action if they failed to clean the property. Around 700 banners were placed in such properties around the city, out of which 300 plots were cleaned up. However, the initiative has hit a roadblock as most of the owners prefer to ignore these warnings.

Lack of proper maintenance of such vacant lands leads to growth of shrubs, which gradually become a breeding ground for snakes and reptiles causing health concerns among residents.

Piles of debris and thick growth of vegetation are a common sight on vacant plots in several residential colonies in the city. In addition, they also serve as dump yards, where herds of pigs and rodents rummage through the garbage heaps, posing health hazards.

“When new houses are constructed, the waste is dumped on nearby vacant plots, and the debris never gets cleared. People dump waste on vacant plots unmindful of the damage it caused to the surrounding areas. The owners should ideally keep the premises clean and fence the property,” said J. Jesuraj, a resident of Anbu Nagar.

Similarly, construction debris has been found dumped on the vacant land in Bharathi Street near Wireless Road. Residents say that the debris was dumped almost six months ago, and even after multiple complaints to the officials, no steps had been taken to remove it.