Who will do business in a place that stinks?

Who will do business in a place that stinks?

S Senthalir



The backyard of BBMP is stinking. Garbage remains the main problem in the KR Market area in Chamarajpet constituency. KR Market, one of the highest revenue yielding markets in Bangalore, is often saddled with mountains of garbage left to rot.
"The Palike collects taxes from the traders without fail. But it shows no urgency when it comes to paying them back with civic amenities," says a vexed BK Goyal, secretary of Bangalore Central Traders' Association.
"The worst affected," says Goyal, "are the traders and the residents of this area. The garbage is strewn around everywhere. I suspect garbage from other parts of the city is also unloaded here on the sly. In a place like KR Market, garbage clearance should be done regularly and not just once in two days."
Anitha R, another resident near SJP Road, says rotting garbage is posing a health hazard. "Sometimes, one sees leftovers and plastic waste rotting for days on the roadside and vacant spots. Stray dogs feast on them as mosquitoes fly around. Children fall ill frequently due to this menace. Civic workers do not sweep the roads properly. The heavy traffic and movement of people have led to much inconvenience for us," she says.
BBMP officials, whom DNA contacted, promptly deliver the ball back to the bowlers. "We are taking adequate measures to clear garbage from all the areas and why Chamarajpet alone is complaining?" asks one Palike official responsible for sanitary works.
But Goyal is not giving up. There are both residential and commercial buildings here. The sewage lines often get clogged and public toilets are not maintained properly. "People urinate on the roads as there are only a few public toilets here and even those are not properly maintained," he says.
Pavements have been dug up on Narasimha Raja Road and Sadar Patrappa Road, which are the hubs of electronic goods and hardware shops. There are lakhs of traders and thousands of commercial buildings on these stretches.
"Garbage is dumped anywhere. Palike's plans to introduce zero garbage concept have fallen flat here. To an extent, people are responsible for this. Earlier, shop owners used to collect garbage and keep it outside their shops and the BBMP collected it in the morning. However, the frequency of the garbage vans has reduced during the last two months," says Goyal.
"Okay, forget us, the residents. What about business that gives big moolah to the Palike? How will customers come to a place that stinks?" he asks.
People are unable to walk safely on the roads as the underpass work is still incomplete. "We find it difficult to cross the road here. The incomplete underpass work is adding to the mess. The mounds of garbage, plastic wastes and choking traffic make it risky and unpleasant to walk on the street," says Bhavya Shree, a student of Vani Vilas College.