TRASH TROUBLES Localities in Gittikhadan, like many otherareas in the city, are facing a problem ofgarbage dumping in places it should not be
By Vaishnavi Pillay :
The Hitavada ‘Yellow’ Eye-opener
GARBAGE is a familiar sight in both bustling commercial areas
and quiet residential neighbourhoods, so much so that it has
reached alarming proportions. The issues of littering and waste
dumping in undesignated areas remain a persistent challenge in
the city.
The inadequate solid waste management has an influence on
population’she alth and quality of life.The various cleanliness missions and initiatives demonstrate a generaldesire for cleaner cities
but fail to generate large-scale execution to improve conditions.
Such ambitious initiatives are too broad and complex for any single organisation, such as government or private, to operate alone,
necessitating new collaborations from community and civic authorities alike. Localities in Gittikhadan, like many other areas in the
city, are facing a problem of garbage dumping in places it should
not be. Right near the entrance of Gokul Society, Gorewada Road,
it is a common scenario where nearby residents and commuters
throw away their household waste stuffed and wrapped in polybags.
The concerned residents say that people living nearby and those passing through purposelys top their vehicles,throw garbage
openly on the roadside and even when the place gets cleaned,
people show up again to throw waste. It is like people have decided this spot is a new dustbin.
Another location is in front of Dwivedi Colony, alongside the
stretch of road connecting Gittikhadan Square, where garbage is
dumped on the road side.It is one of the busiest roads of Gittikhadan
area that connects many other localities and residential colonies.
One of the residents expressed that people have raised complain
of the garbage issue on several occasions, and also the irregular
visits of garbage collection van of the NMC make people dump
their household waste in such locations where garbage is already
being piled up.
But, a horrifying mess of all these is on Katol Road, near the
Indian Oil Petrol Pump. The garbage there is dumped and spread
out like it is part of the street, a proud display of stinkiness. There
isa need to drastically improve public understanding and to update
civic knowledge about clean living and proper disposal.
When a family or an individual decides to reduce household
waste in the first place, it is the most efficient way to get rid of
waste production.Waste management seems tobea cultural problem involving attitudes,ignorance,and lack of willing ness to accept
responsibility for one’s community.