Mangaluru: If Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes to Mangaluru and decides to take a trip to Pilikula Park, he will be freaking out looking at the garbage that is scattered all along the route, especially from Baithurli up to the park. Swachh Bharath Abhiyan, no way! I appreciate the great work that MLA JR Lobo is doing pertaining to the development of Pilikula Park, but has he looked at the pile of garbage that is scattered all around the vicinity of the Park. I know that even ministers like UT Khader, Ramanath Rai, Abhayachandra Jain, MLA Moideen Bava and even the DC AB Ibrahim have made frequent visits to this park on several occasions for programmes- but have they noticed the garbage all along the route to the park? Have they done anything about it so far? Absolutely NOTHING!
Mangalure’s garbage woes stare at you all along the route when you go from the City to Vamanjoor, it’s especially bad from Baithurli junction up to Pilikula area. Very soon, if the situation remains unresolved, it will be a bigger problem than just an eyesore and an attack on your olfactory senses. These garbage dumps in these areas can be the source of dengue, malaria, typhoid, jaundice or even leptospirosis, if let unattended. In spite of Mangaluru in the past having many cases of malaria and Dengue, the MCC does not take timely action to clear garbage from the city, -it can spread more fly and mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and malaria. What good is it to spend a whopping Rs 18 crore on the new and advance garbage disposal system, when we still see bunch of open garbage lying on the roadside.
And with monsoon hitting the area very soon, Garbage, if coupled with rain which is visiting the city on and off, can spell trouble for the city. Garbage piles will be home to rodents, mosquitoes and flies. Besides dengue and malaria, leptospirosis can spread through rodents. Although leptospirosis is not common in Mangaluru, it can be a real scare during the monsoon. And if some gets affected with that disease, then only the city authorities will wake up and get into action. Even though the MCC garbage trucks pass through the Baithurli area on their way to the dump yard in Vamanjoor every single day, but none of the employees in those trucks have got down and decided to clean up the garbage that is scattered near the Baithurli Junction. This is a very sad situation that our new Mayor should look into at the earliest.
Piling up of garbage is more dangerous during the monsoon as it also poses the threat of groundwater contamination. Water contamination can cause diseases like typhoid, cholera, jaundice and gastroenteritis. Children are the most vulnerable to such diseases. It can also spread viral diseases and create health hazard in the city. And also Mangaluru famous for stray dogs, the havoc caused can be immense when they feed or dig through the waste. So why are our MLAs, MPs, MLCs, Ministers and city authorities turning a blind eye towards this garbage menace. They all are pushing to make Mangaluru and India Clean, under Modi’s “Swachh Bharath’ campaign- but seems like nothing positive is happening looking at all the garbage which is still haunting the City and in the outskirts of the City.
Visitors and foreigners taking a trip to the Pilikula Park along the said route above, will surely have a bad impression on this coastal city. Looking at all the garbage, it seems like ” We don’t practice what we preach”- when it comes to our Netas and other government officials. We have all been instructed by government/District/city officials that we should partake in the PM cleanliness campaign “Swachh Bharath” without fail. But on the other hand, the same people who insisted that their citizens keep their surroundings clean and make India a clean Country, or for that matter, Clean Mangaluru, themselves ignore awareness of cleanliness. Namma Mangaluru, Swachha Mangaluru-at this rate, NO WAY!
A man would spit on the road while driving. I would look at him and scorn and give him a tiny lecture while driving parallel to him. The police would look at the man spitting and ignore. That is what is going on here. There are certainly people like you and me who discourage such activities. There are a few administrators and policemen who keep moving in every such incident. But let’s face it, the number is too low. It’ll take a good number of years before we can actually claim that we live in a clean India or Clean Mangaluru, especially when we have govt/civic authorities who break the laws or ignore clean awareness drive-Just by preaching, and themselves not following what they preach, our leaders should soon change their attitude/manners. Period.
In conclusion, what I really feel bad is that even though all these Ministers, MLAs, MPs, MLCs, Government and City Officials have taken this route when they visited Pilikula Park (I am sure they have all noticed the pile of garbage), its sad to note that they have not taken any action to make sure those areas look “Swachh” rather than “Kachha”. Even though, Mangalureans have the privilege (which we can’t help) to throw garbage around- It’s the duty of the government to clean the mess up, right? Mangalureans voted for them to govern and take care of the problems- BUT why aren’t they doing it? A question remained unanswered.
People have elected the globetrotter so that HE organises all the cleaning up.
Isn’t that what Indian democracy all about?
Cast the vote to the man with promises too good to be true.
Now, unfortunately the globetrotter is too busy trotting the globe. He other half is busy changing the people at the top end, and perhaps handling the Press-Release-wallahs.
The globetrotter had kindly asked Mr Siddaramaiah, (and not a BJP CM), to take charge of the rubbish removal. Mr Siddaramaiah, ever alert about the globetrotter’s many ploys, kindly refused.
So let us see what magic wand the globetrotter will produce to do things that the previous Government could not.
Until then, let us live in the mess of our own creation.
Dog’s tail is impossible to straighten. Look at the road sides from Bithurli to Volachil. Even around new Mangala Paramedical School in Pedamale. Students from this school went to clean Neermarga while leaving filthy their own school roadside.
Here is a real ill effect of Swacha Pedamale. A dozen or so Students were standing near school waiting for Bus. At the same time a tempo fellow dumped some trash in front of these students. None of them cared a damn about it . Same school students went somewhere to tell others how to keep clean surroundings.
Its a shame that so much garbage is seen all over this place. Well highlighted and reported by the author- hope it will open the eyes of the concernedd authorities and also the politicians whom the citizens voted into power to do the needful. Great job highlighting such issues.
Made in India
Alfie if I knew that you will be writing about Swachh Bhrath,I would have given you a Picture of reality shot near Corporators house in Paldane. There was enough garbage to fill a truck but Corporator was unable to see it through His CorporaTORS ONLY WHERLuxury House nor through His Luxury Car while driving. Corporator only see where a money mint is posted.