Chennai: Tender coconut vendors in Pallavaram complain that the private contractor of the Tambaram city municipal corporation refuses to collect green waste from their shops. With summer approaching, the demand for tender coconut has increased across the city and more than 10 shops in the area are affected by the issue. Vendors say that, at present, there is no facility that can process green waste. The tender coconut vendors now rely on private vehicles to transport their waste to dumpyards. Prabhakaran, a vendor in Pallavaram, said, “Each shop sells at least 100 to 150 tender coconuts every day. We spend around 1,000 to hire a private vehicle to transport the waste to a yard,” he said. According to vendors, sanitation workers cited a ‘commissioner’s order’ asking them not to collect green waste from commercial establishments. “Sanitation workers said the corporation recently procured compactor trucks that cannot process green waste. “Officials have asked us to dispose of the waste ourselves,” Prabhakaran added.Corporation commissioner S Balachander said no such order has been issued to stop collecting green waste. “A new facility to process green waste is being set up within the corporation limits and will soon be handed over to a private contractor. We will take steps to ensure proper collection,” he said.
