 |
| (The road connecting Mathikere to MSR Nagar is a nightmare to commuters. The benches built by BBMP on this road show the very irony of the situation.) |
It would be an understatement if I said that Bangalore
faces a garbage disposal problem. Bangalore generates around 4000 tons of
garbage every single day. There is a place, preferably a corner, where garbage
is dumped in piles in every area of Bangalore; none more so than the one in
Mathikere Extension. The surprising fact is that the road where the garbage is
dumped in Mathikere Ext. is the focal point or the bridge between Mathikere and
MSR Nagar. It is a road of importance and one of the very few with a public
toilet. The garbage piles are cleared only once every week. This road is every
commuter’s worst nightmare as it stinks of excreta, urine and rotten garbage (Yes,
‘rotten’ garbage).
I have been living in the area (albeit 5 streets
away) all my life and this particular road has never seen cleanliness. Keep in
mind; we are talking of 2 decades here. I have personally written 2 letters to
BBMP requesting them to act immediately but they have taken their own sweet
time and have done nothing. Consider yourself living in the adjacent road or
the road leading to this one. The unbearable smell not only leads to a loss of
appetite but also increases the chance of ‘catching on to a virus’ so to speak.
I spoke to a resident Mr. Murali who lives on the adjacent road and he is not
happy about this situation at all.
“My son is in 8th standard now and is
sick every other month. He always talks about how dirty our country is and he
curses the government officials all the time” he said.
Cursing the government officials is one thing but
having such a strong opinion about one’s own country at such a tender age is
poisonous. It is quite clear that the kid has been affected by this and it is
very unfair to him.
Mrs. Kamalakshi who lives on the same road has a
similar opinion. “They (The Government) just don’t understand our problems. We
have to live in a surrounding with flies and other insects all the time. It is
a big nuisance. We have tried to complain but there is only so much we can do”
she said.
The irony in all this lies in the fact that BBMP
have built benches for people to sit on next to the garbage pile! When I rang
the BBMP office to ask for the Mayor, the person who answered the phone kept
saying the Mayor was unable to comment and to write a letter addressed to him
(which I had already done twice). I fail to understand if there is a lack of
knowledge on BBMP’s part or if it is just pure laziness. Whatever it may be,
they have certainly failed on their part.
All of us hope for a
better India but this has to start at the grass root level. Helping keep our
neighborhood clean is the least that the government can do.
Brilliant article....! this road has always been a trouble.. I appreciate ur efforts man! keep them comin...
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot man! I'll try my best.
DeleteAgree the BBMP are at fault, but what about the people dumping the garbage out in the public in the first place? Don't they have civic responsibilities as well? How many people dumping garbage on public streets and neighboring vacant properties aren't educated enough to understand the consequences of this?! Truth is they just don't care! As long as the rubbish is out of their houses, it is some one else's problem. Don't care what happens to the neighbour or the community! This is typical of what is ailing India. I agree there's a crisis, but nits is much more that mere garbage disposal. It is about people having a sense of pride and taking ownership and responsibility for their actions. It is about people realizing their sense of community and being civic minded.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment. I completely agree with your point of taking responsibility for one's own action/s. It is what is troubling our great nation. However, this article is about the road being a 'dumping yard''; meaning, there are trolleys sanctioned by the government which collect the garbage from the surrounding houses and dump the garbage onto the road, making it a dumping yard. The residents have no say in this. I truly apologize if I have not made this clear to the readers, it must have escaped my thoughts. I agree to a certain extent that the residents have not been aggressive enough in their complaints to BBMP but by and large this is the fault of the government.
ReplyDelete