It’s no surprise that Chennai has plummeted from its previous fifth-place position to rank 104th in Tamil Nadu in the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 survey. The assessment covered 651 locations across the state, and Chennai’s sharp decline highlights growing concerns over urban cleanliness.
One glaring example is the banks of the Cooum River near Nolambur, which clearly reflect the inefficiencies of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) in implementing the Swachh Bharat Mission. Garbage from wards 91, 92, and 93 is left to rot in the open, creating an eyesore and a health hazard.
No wonder Chennai failed in the Swachh rankings. A scene along Cooum River banks in Nolambur. Waste dumped by none other than @chennaicorp and you can see it is rotting for long inviting cows, crows, pigs and what not, to the busy residential road. Pigs have taken over the river… pic.twitter.com/VSPTJVqeu8
— Omjasvin M D (@omjasvinMD) July 21, 2025
Following a Times of India report in December last year, GCC initially responded by removing about ten garbage bins and attempted to convert the area into a riverside park. However, they retained a garbage transfer station on the site, which now holds between 100 and 150 tonnes of waste for up to 48 hours, with insufficient bins to manage the load. What was once envisioned as a park is now overrun with filth pigs forage through the trash, and cows drag waste onto the streets.
This stretch of road is a key route for around 50,000 residents of Mogappair, Nolambur, Golden George Nagar, and Padikuppam, who use it to access Poonamallee High Road. Nearby, several gated communities and students from Dr. MGR University also rely on this thoroughfare.
Ward 93 councillor Uma Santhanam acknowledged the issue, stating that officials are actively seeking an alternative site to relocate the garbage sorting station. “We plan to gradually remove all the bins,” she said. She also mentioned that when officials tried to capture the pigs last week, a group of herders attacked sanitation workers, including some sanitary inspectors. A police complaint is expected to be filed soon.
Meanwhile, GCC has shut down all local wet waste processing units, such as micro-composting and vermi-composting centres in the affected wards. This has led to unsegregated waste being dumped directly in open spaces. “Even when residents make an effort to separate waste, it ends up getting mixed and dumped outside,” said K. Radhika, a resident of Mogappair East. She urged the corporation to reopen composting facilities to manage organic waste more effectively and reduce the overall load on open dumping grounds.
(With inputs from Times Of India)
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
