GCC’s conservancy teams visit homes to collect bulky furniture scrap

On Saturday, a team of conservancy workers from the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) visited an apartment on Ganpat Raj Nagar in Virugambakkam to collect furniture scrap in bulk.

They collected a large quantity of old sofas and household waste from an apartment on the first floor, and transported them to the incinerator in Kodungaiyur the same day.

The resident, Girish, had asked the GCC to send teams to his house after he was reportedly unable to dispose of furniture scrap.

The conservancy teams on Saturday visited residences in areas such as Chintadripet, Perungudi, Keelkattalai, Madipakkam, Velachery, Taramani, Pallikkaranai, Guindy, Mugalivakkam, Manapakkam, and Nanganallur.

“Every Saturday, the GCC conducts a doorstep collection of bulky household waste items to keep our city clean and promote hygienic practices,” an official said.

Starting October 11, conservancy teams have been visiting homes in all the 15 zones. “When we advised residents against the dumping of scrap materials on the streets, they complained that they were unable to easily dispose of old sofas, beds, furniture, and used clothes. This service, available every Saturday, will provide a solution,” a civic official said.

Residents have been requested to register their request in advance through the Namma Chennai App, call GCC helpline 1913 and register their complaints, or send a message to the designated WhatsApp number 9445061913.

Once registered, the GCC staff will come and collect the items for safe and scientific disposal. “On October 25, the GCC received 119 requests, and conservancy teams visited 102 homes to clear the waste. As many as 31 vehicles were deployed on that day, and 38 tonnes of household waste were disposed of. On October 11, October 18, and October 25, GCC teams visited 518 houses. A total of 543 requests has been received so far,” an official said.

 A total of 176 vehicles has been deployed and 141 tonnes of old sofas, beds, wooden furniture and used clothes have been scientifically disposed of at the incinerator plant. “The incinerator in Kodungaiyur has the capacity to dispose of 50 tonnes every day,” an official said.

This initiative has been launched to prevent the illegal dumping of damaged sofas, beds, wooden furniture and clothes in public places, and prevent clogging of canals and drains during the monsoon, said an official.