An anganwadi in the neighbourhood, is in the news for all the wrong reasons. For, the place is riddled with snakes, garbage and liquor bottles.
According to sources, parents of nearly 60 students studying in the facility at Marundeeswarar Nagar, recently protested by not sending their wards to school.
“The premises is spread over a ground, but it also houses a gym built by the civic body. This is not in use due to several reasons and is poorly maintained. But this does not keep ‘anti-socials’ from coming here,” says a resident Dharmalingam.
The situation turned worse after a snake bit a hen belonging to a resident here. The news subsequently spread, resulting in parents refusing to send their children, fearing for their safety.
“For five days, the place remained shut, even as officials jumped into action by sending personnel from the Forest Department to catch the snake. It was then that three-feet garbage mounted in the school campus, came to focus and was eventually cleared,” says J Vasudasan, a resident and secretary of Police Public Friends Association.
During the process of cleaning, the officials found one snake dead in the gym toilet. “We cleaned the place with kerosene and it is better now,” he adds.
So who dumps the garbage into the school compound? “The people who live nearby. They come with bags of liquor bottles. Since the gate is broken, they get in and drink here till the wee hours of the morning. At times, they even throw the bottles into the premises and glass panels of neighbouring houses,” Vasudasan notes. A few days ago, the anganwadi is said to have re-opened, although the strength was low.