Garden city or garbage city?

Garden city or garbage city?
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: The Garden City is one big dunghill today. Indiscriminate littering and dumping of wastes on every available plot, nook and corner in the city is the cause of diseases, menace of stray dogs, and other health hazards, people say.

Residents are sure the BBMP’s failure to lift garbage regularly and inadequate cleanliness drive are responsible for the sorry situation. Residents have, of late, been forced to empty their waste-cans on any open space available because of the Palike’s failure to ensure daily clearance of solid wastes.

Residents also accuse the BBMP of focussing cleanliness only on areas situated near the City centres. But places off the arterial roads like Hennur, Kamakshipalya, HSR Layout, and Marthahalli are often neglected.

“The increasing number of stray dogs, particularly on the outskirts of Bangalore, is due to inadequate disposal of garbage. Residents and owners of commercial establishments throw garbage in vacant sites and this creates hell for people in the area,” said Krishna S, a resident of Kakamakshipalya.

“It’s the responsibility of BBMP to ensure that all areas clean the whole day. But the civic pick-up vehicles rarely visit these areas. The piled up garbage poses serious threat to all, especially children,” he said.

Some residents also say that vacant sites at certain commercial places like Okhalipuram and Vasanthnagar have been converted into scrapyards.

“All the assurances of BBMP to keep the areas clean remain just on paper. The initial indignation at the shocking incident of stray dogs eating a girl alive has worn away. The vacant sites continue to remain dumpyards that attract many street dogs and flies,” said Neelima H K, a resident of Okhalipuram.

She wanted the BBMP to take strict action against littering at will. ”It is also the responsibility of the civic agency to educate the people about cleanliness. The BBMP should also create awareness among people,” she added.