Vacant plots in Puducherry turn into dumping grounds
Municipal authorities in Puducherry are struggling to manage vacant plots that have become illegal dumping grounds for waste. The accumulation of debris and stagnant water poses significant public health risks, including the spread of vector-borne diseases.
Why it matters
Urban sanitation and waste management are critical infrastructure challenges for growing cities, directly impacting public health and environmental safety.
Local bodies in Puducherry are grappling with the growing problem of vacant plots increasingly turning into informal dumping sites for household waste and construction debris, posing a challenge for them ahead of the rainy season.
Besides affecting sanitation, the accumulation of waste, thick vegetation and stagnant water have raised concerns over mosquito breeding and a possible increase in vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.
Residents in several neighbourhoods say unoccupied plots, left unattended for years, have become overgrown with vegetation and are strewn with plastic waste, bottles and other waste. During rains, water stagnates in such places, creating conditions conducive for mosquito breeding.
Despite repeated appeals by municipal authorities, several owners of vacant plots have failed to keep their land clean or secure it with proper fencing, allowing the sites to become convenient dumping grounds for the public.
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