Garbage trucks to Kodungaiyur leave a hazardous trail

Chennai: Motorists in Kodungaiyur, Vyasarpadi, and Mullai Nagar regularly face the danger of skidding, not due to potholes but from garbage spilled by Greater Chennai Corporation's (GCC) trucks en route to the Kodungaiyur dumpyard. The Vyasarpadi bridge, leading to the dumpyard, is littered with mixed garbage, making it slippery and emitting an intolerable stench in the evening and night hours.Each day, around 2,387 tonnes of waste are transported to the Kodungaiyur dumpyard in approximately 150 compactors and 100 tipper lorries from GCC zones 1 to 8, covering areas such as Thiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, and Royapuram. However, many of these vehicles lack proper enclosures or netting, causing waste to spill onto the roads."The trucks move at high speeds, sometimes not slowing down for speed breakers, which results in more waste spilling on to the road," said LM Jaiganesh, a Kodungaiyur resident. He filed a complaint with the Chief Minister's Cell, specifically listing the lorry numbers leaking garbage, including TN22BR9032, TNAK6944, TN22CF0722 and TN22BR8960 but no action has been taken yet. "So far, riders have escaped with only minor injuries. GCC shouldn't wait for something serious to happen before acting."Most skidding incidents happen post-8pm., within two hours of garbage trucks passing through. A GCC official has assured that instructions will be issued to ensure all garbage trucks are properly netted, especially as the northeast monsoon is expected to intensify, which could worsen road conditions.