A vacant government-owned plot near Third Cross Street in MMDA Mathur has turned into a dumping ground, with residents from nearby localities regularly disposing of garbage there.

Residents said they leave for work early in the morning, before conservancy workers arrive for door-to-door garbage collection, prompting them to dump the waste in the open ground. “If we leave waste outside our houses, cows and dogs pull it apart and create a mess on the streets,” said S. Benjamin, 43, a resident.

He added: “If a new conservancy worker is deployed, the waste bags remain untouched for days. Due to ongoing drainage work in the locality, it has become difficult to hand over waste directly to conservancy workers. They do not arrive at a fixed time every day, and if residents are not available when they come, the waste just stays where we left it.”

Several residents said they dump waste on the vacant land before leaving for work to avoid the foul smell near their homes.

Garbage collectors, meanwhile, said residents had repeatedly been advised to keep their waste outside their homes for collection, but many failed to follow the instructions. “We end up cleaning the vacant plot every day,” said a conservancy worker assigned to the area.

‘Will erect signboards’

A Manali Zone official of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) said bins were previously placed in the locality but were removed following complaints about waste accumulation around them. He added that conservancy workers clear the open ground daily.

When asked about signboards warning against dumping, the official said that although they were installed earlier, people continued to litter the area. Fresh boards would be erected, he said.

He further said green nets would be installed around the area to prevent waste from being thrown into the building behind the site. Awareness campaigns would also be conducted, and steps would be taken to gradually reduce dumping and prevent accumulation of waste at the site.