4 mths on, Pudur channel is waste dump zone again

Madurai: Empty alcohol bottles, plastic plates, cups and spoons, used utensils, used banana leaves, clothes and food waste, you name it, and they are there, forming a carpet above the water in the Pudur channel at Matthuthavani in Madurai. Residents say the blockages happen repeatedly despite cleaning efforts by public works department (PWD). It was only in November last year that the channel was desilted, and water flow restored.The waste dumped creates blockages in the open channel opposite MGR Omni bus stand, causing a bad odour as well as a potential health hazard. "There have been efforts to clear the waste, but because it is open, the restaurants nearby find it convenient to dump their waste directly into the water. Even passersby lob their waste packets in," said Ramesh, a worker employed in a shop nearby, showing the used banana leaves, bottles and single-use plastic waste in the channel. Indeed, residents blame restaurants for dumping food waste into the channel, but activists say many of them too are guilty of mindlessly dumping anything and everything into it. The waste so dumped causes a pile-up in the channel going towards Uthangudi kanmai, preventing the proper flow of water. "The channel is one of the first things visitors to the city from Mattuthavani bus stand will see, and it shows the city in a poor light" Ramesh added.Further along the channel towards Uthangudi kanmai, landowners have dumped mud and sand into it, restricting water flow. M Rajan, founder of Vaigai Nathi Makkal Iyakkam, said more stringent action needs to be taken on restaurants for dumping waste into channels. "Because of the blockages, the spoilt food waste mixes with the water and that, combined with the heat, creates a strong odour and poses serious health risks," he said. "While Vandiyur kanmai itself has been recently renovated, the water going to it has been left ignored," he said.A senior PWD official said there were difficulties in regularly dredging and desilting the channel owing to the high density of traffic in the area. "We will conduct a thorough cleaning of the channel in the coming months," he said.A Madurai corporation official said strict monitoring and fines will be imposed to prevent further waste dumping into the channel. "Because of the amount of waste generated, the daily waste pickups may not be enough. More dustbins will be added for waste dumping in the area," he said.