The garbage transit station, located on Valuvarkottam High Road, has been a cause for concern for not only the residents of Ward 113, but also commuters and people frequenting establishments in the area.
“Some days, the stench is unbearable and it worsens during the monsoon. There is a school nearby and the students and teachers are severely affected,” said Lalitha, a resident of Prakasam Street. Residents added that the road outside the transit station had become a hotspot for accidents as two-wheelers skidded and fell due to the residual garbage on the road.
Ironically, the transit station, located in zone 9, is the collection point for garbage from wards in zone 10. From there, the garbage is sent to the dumping yards. The Corporation has been represented many times seeking transfer of the transit station as it was close to the school and the tourist spot at Valluvar Kottam. Till now, the civic body has not taken any step.
Many areas in the ward bore the brunt of the December floods also. The area has an old stormwater drainage system that failed as the Mambalam canal overflowed. “Many streets here were flooded for almost a month after the rain,” said K. Kumar, a resident of the ward.
Ward councillor P. Santhi said, “People have complained about the location of the transit station and we have appealed to the Corporation to shift the place elsewhere and clean the roads whenever possible to avoid accidents.”
On the flooding of the area for a month, Ms. Santhi said the work on a new stormwater drainage system from Habibullah Road to G.N. Chetty Road is expected to begin shortly. “While we hope the work will be finished before the monsoon, de-silting of the Mambalam canal also has to be carried out,” she said.
