Garbage dumping plagues Government Ambedkar Higher Secondary School in Egmore

Students and staff at the Government Ambedkar Higher Secondary School on Gandhi Irwin Road in Egmore are facing severe hygiene and security risks after a portion of the school campus was turned into an active garbage dumping ground. The ongoing issue, reported during the past week, has left more than 300 students without a usable play area due to piles of plastic waste, liquor bottles, and construction debris.

The school, which is located in the constituency of Education Minister Rajmohan, sits adjacent to the Buckingham Canal. According to school staff, the lack of a compound wall and a broken school gate that remains open round the clock has allowed outsiders unrestricted access to the campus. This has enabled the dumping of various types of waste, including wet waste that spills onto the grounds and emits a foul smell.

During rains, the uncleared garbage has also triggered an increase in the mosquito menace, compounding the health risks for students and staff. A staff member at the district education officer (private schools) office, which is located on the campus, noted that while garbage is cleared occasionally after complaints are filed, it regularly reappears within a few days.

Local authorities and school officials have been trading blame over the responsibility for the cleanup. Chennai Chief Education Officer M Kabir acknowledged the issue and stated that the Greater Chennai Corporation is responsible for the frequent dumping and uncleared waste. Kabir noted that instructions to clear the premises have been issued multiple times, including during a meeting in April, and promised that steps would be taken to clear the waste.

In response, Corporation Assistant Engineer Sanjeev stated that the civic body is not at fault. He explained that because the school gates are broken, people enter the facility at night to dump waste. While Sanjeev asserted that the corporation clears the waste regularly, he noted that they have requested cooperation from the Public Works Department's assistant engineer to build a compound wall and install CCTV cameras to identify and apprehend the culprits.