Piles of garbage on the streets show that they have not been cleared for a month at Vinayagar Kovil in K.K. Pudur area. It is a nuisance for vehicle users and pedestrians who use the road. Not only the Corporation but the residents too couldn’t care less. And, to add to the misery, the garbage is all in polythene bags, leaving no scope for decomposition.

“The stench from the garbage is unbearable,” says a resident from Vinayagar Kovil. Due to inadequate bins and sanitary workers, garbage remains dumped in the open. There is a suggestion that people could either burn or bury the waste.

Apart from the garbage, another grouse is that there is lack of proper distribution of ration items under the Public Distribution System (PDS). According to resident of Anandha Housing Colony the ration items disappear off the shelf even in the first week of the month.

“Only 10 kg of rice is given most of the months against the entitled quantity of 20 kg. Pulses are available only once in two months. Complaints fall on deaf ears of officials and we end up buying such things at a high price from the open market”.

Among the positives, there are some basic facilities given by the Corporation that people enjoy. The roads are good, many ditches have been newly constructed, public toilets are in good condition and well maintained. Drinking water is also adequately provided.

Ward 13 Councillor D. Umadevi, said: “People also throw garbage in reserve sites that creates a sanitation problem. It is also their duty to keep the surrounding clean. When it comes to ration items, there is a shortage in supply due to the continuous rain.”