Copyright thehindu
The Tiruchi Corporation has launched a drive to identify and penalise owners of poorly maintained vacant plots in residential areas across the city. Heavy rainfall over the past week has caused severe inundation in several neighbourhoods, turning empty plots into mini swamps and triggering health concerns among residents. Pools of stagnant water have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, while overgrown weeds have provided shelter for reptiles. Corporation officials said that several open plots across the city had become dumping grounds for garbage and construction debris. Unused items such as old tyres, empty plastic containers, coconut shells, and broken clay pots, that can collect rainwater, along with overgrown bushes, have made these plots potential sources of dengue and other vector-borne diseases. Officials said a majority of plot owners are non-residents and the custodians of these properties have reportedly failed to maintain them regularly. The civic body, in 2022, placed banners on poorly maintained vacant plots, warning owners of strict action if they failed to clean their properties. However, only a few plots were cleared and with most owners choosing to ignore the warnings, the initiative gradually lost momentum. Following repeated complaints, the councillors and junior engineers have been asked to identify the owners of such properties in their respective wards. “Notices will be issued to plot owners, instructing them to clear and maintain their land within a stipulated period,” an official said. The Corporation has started compiling ward-wise details of such owners and is issuing notices under the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939, with fines being imposed. Meanwhile, around 350 domestic breeding checkers have been deployed across the city to conduct door-to-door inspections. They will inspect households, commercial establishments, construction sites, and vacant plots to identify and eliminate mosquito-breeding sources.
