Thenkudipatti residents decry unsafe waste disposal practices

 Residents of Thenkudipatti in Kambur panchayat of Madurai district complain about the improper waste disposal methods practiced by rural sanitation workers.  

The villagers said there were two locations in the village where the waste collected from the households would be dumped every two days.  

The waste dumped amidst the houses, the residents said, would be set on fire weekly.  

Abishek, a villager, said that the sanitary workers collecting the waste would not have a truck or minivan to carry back the garbage.  

“With the small pushcart vehicle, they cannot carry all the waste collected from the houses. To empty their carts before moving on to the next village, they dump the waste in earmarked sites,” he added.  

Another woman named Durga said that in city areas even when the waste was dumped on streets or nearby residential areas, it would be cleared frequently.  

But, in rural areas, that too in villages like theirs where the roads were very narrow, large vehicles like lorries or mini trucks could not be driven, she added.  

So, the workers who were left with the only option to clear the waste dump with their hands preferred to burn it, Ms. Durga said.  

“The smoke that emanates from the fire fills up the entire area for at least two days. As it is summer season, the fire keeps burning at a low level for more than two days,” she added.  

As the waste collection was mostly plastic bags and plastic materials, burning it releases a strong foul smell, she observed.  

Also, as the site of dumping was closer to a water channel, if rain pours and the channel fills up, the entire garbage will get into the water, she pointed out. 

A panchayat-level officer said they had given instructions to the workers to practise safe waste disposal. “We will ensure that the workers are given a mini truck to fit the village streets to collect the waste collected from the households,” the official added.