Municipal Corporation of Tirupati resumes garbage clearance

Tirupati: The Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) resumed garbage clearance from the city after police ended the road blockade by Ramapuram villagers near the municipal dump yard using force in the early hours on Friday. In a planned move, the MCT authorities with police protection cleared the heap of garbage obstructing the road leading to the dump yard near Ramapuram village and started dumping the garbage in the yard from the early hours of Friday.

Section 144 was imposed in Ramapuram area covering the municipal dump yard. The police warned of serious action against anyone violating the prohibitory orders which had the desired result with the protestors involved in the road blockade stayed away from protest.

Highlights:

• Police end road blockade by Ramapuram villagers at 3 am on Friday
• YSRCP MLA Chevireddy and 35 villagers taken into custody and shifted to BN Kandriga and MR Palli police stations
• 800 tonnes of garbage lifting began after four days

ChandragiriA Chevireddy MLBhaskar Reddy was taken into custody when he was coming to the village after knowing the police removed the blockade and was taken to BN Kandriga police station near Srikalahasti, 50 km from here. Reddy, supporting Ramapuram villagers wanted the MCT to immediately shift the dumping yard near the village on the ground that it is posing grave health problem and also contaminating ground water in the village around the dump yard in his constituency.

As many as 35 villagers including five women were also taken into custody by the police, who shifted them to MR Palli police station in the city. They resisted the police when they were asked to disperse, blocking the road leading to the dumping yard near the village. Immediately after the road blockade ended, the corporation authorities have wasted no time. Tractors and dumpers carrying garbage started moving from the city to Ramapuram for dumping the waste in the yard from 3 am in the morning.

MCT Health department sanitary supervisor said that the lifting of garbage from the dustbins would continue nonstop till all the 800 tonnes of accumulated garbage in the city lifted and carried to the dumping yard. It may be noted here that the MCT authorities along with all party leaders and representatives of trade and commerce and social organisations held several rounds of talks with the villagers but in vain.

Interestingly, the YSRCP leaders from the city distanced away from the road blockage supported by their own MLA Chevireddy and expressed their support to the authorities taking any step they deem it fit to end the stalemate on the dumping yard issue at a meeting convened by Municipal Corporation Commissioner C Hari Kiran and District Collector PS Pradyumna.

Meanwhile, sources said that after the District Collector’s efforts at a meeting on Wednesday night here failed to move the villagers and also MLA Chevireddy to end the road blockade to resume garbage clearance from the city, the authorities decided to involve the police to end the blockade.

However, they waited for a day for the completion of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu official visit in the district on Thursday and foiled the road blockade at 3 am on Friday ending the stir and paving the way for the corporation resume garbage clearance and carrying it to the dumping yard after a gap of four days.