Puttenahalli, now a garbage dump yard

Puttenahalli, now a garbage dump yard

Sharath M. Sharma


DUMPED: Garbage is collected only once a week in Puttenahalli in J.P. Nagar, Bangalore.
Bangalore: First time visitors to Puttenahalli in J.P. Nagar may mistake the residential area as a dumping yard for garbage.

For, there is no proper garbage disposal system available in ward number 187, forcing the residents to use the roadside to throw waste. While garbage is collected from the rest of the city every day, the residents of this locality witness this procedure only once a week.

Predictably, the residents are enraged. Ali Khan, a retailer, said the stink from the garbage is overpowering. “The garbage is even affecting my business. Customers are not coming to my shop because of the stink,” he said.

The fear of diseases also looms large as the heaps of garbage have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. N. Prabhakar, a resident, said the number of mosquitoes have gone up of late. “I am worried about this problem leading to diseases,” he said.

Doctors say their fear is not unreasonable. Ashvath B., a doctor, said such untreated garbage can cause diseases such as loose stools, amoebiasis, asthma, malaria, dengue and respiratory diseases. “Garbage is home to disease mediators such as mosquitoes and bacteria. The BBMP should take immediate action,” he said.

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on its part seems to be defensive rather than apologetic. Though the residents have sent many letters to the palike, no action has been taken so far.

L. Ramesh, councillor of Puttenahalli ward, admitted that the corporation is yet to deal with the problem of final disposal of garbage without which the problem of collection will persist. “We are not ignoring the complaints of the public as they have all been registered. We will take appropriate action to clean the area soon,” he said. He added that the public has to cooperate with the authorities in maintaining the area.

As for tackling the problem of mosquitoes, G. Munikrishnappa, senior BBMP Health Officer of Puttenahalli ward, said the BBMP will take precautionary measures to control the spread of mosquitoes. “We will clean the area as soon as possible with fogging machines,” he said.