Pics By Violet Pereira

Garbage...garbage everywhere ! Garbage, trash, rubbish, waste, refuse whatever you prefer to call it, is piled high, strewn all over and sometimes collected into little mounds for clean up. And that's the scene you see at every nook and corner in the City of Mangalore. The stench and ugly sight of waste dumped along roadside and also the overflowing garbage bins is not only a growing problem faced by the Mangalore City Corporation, but it's also a shame for this City when visitors from out of town, and those foreigners who arrive on cruise ships are greeted by the ugly heap of garbage. As with most public health hazards there's more trash in the up-class neighborhoods than in the other parts of the city. Also you will be not surprised to find stray dogs, crows, cows and pigs rummaging through an enormous garbage pile. The ubiquitous garbage doesn't seem to bother the City officials, but it stands out to me, as it has to other residents, as one of the most obvious health hazards in the community.

Even the Cops are creating a 'mess' in the City  

Act of ignorance! What part of the Sign that people don't understand

With the growing numbers of apartments, hotels, restaurants, hospitals/clinics, schools/colleges, and other businesses, the garbage is increasing day by day and when its not attended by the clean up crew in timely basis it creates smell which is unbearable especially on a hot and humid day. And now that monsoons have started it gets still worse, when the garbage gets rotten and develops extreme stink. But has the City done enough to tackle this 'stinky ' situation that haunts Mangaloreans everyday. Rotten garbage is one of the health hazards that has resulted in spreading Malaria. As per sources Mangalore and surrounding areas had the highest cases of Malaria reported last year and until now --but no one cares, including the City officials. Why would they? Because City officials travel around  the city in four-wheeler vehicles, as a result they are not affected by any health hazards from all these unattended waste disposals. Its only the common people who walk or travel by two-wheelers who are bound to be affected by these health hazard waste menace. Though I am generally quite an optimistic person, I think pigs are more likely to fly. So I think it will take non-governmental and community efforts to change the City's garbage situation.

A 'Garbage Dump Area' turned into a 'Graveyard'

Health Hazard from the garbage will land you straight in the Hospital nearby 

Garbage that landed on the street from the Apartments

Crows enjoying a 'All You Can Eat Garbage' Buffet! 

Our 'neighbours yard' is our 'garbage dump yard'

Though the population of Mangalore City prides itself in being educated and literate, what people here sorely lack is civic and common sense. Even though many dump containers are put up across the region, people rarely make use of it, and most of the waste is spilt around the container rather than in it. Seems like people do not have the patience and courtesy to get closer to the bin, get down from their vehicles and dump their waste inside the metal garbage bin.These folks assume that they are at a amusement park trying their luck with their aim, and most of the time their garbage bags hit the bin and land next to the bin. Also, many a times, organic and non-organic waste are mixed together and out of bin. It takes just a minute to alight from the vehicle and dump the garbage into the bin, instead of tossing it from the vehicle. Even in decent areas like Bendore, Kadri, Kodialbail, Balmatta Road, Kankanady, Falnir, which are in the heart of the city, the waste lies mostly outside the metal garbage bins. Senseless people, all I can say!

Consuming goat milk now could be hazardous in the City

Need paper or plastic - look through the garbage !

Seems like a City dumpyard in front of a Seminary

Other day while I was near Bendorewell area, I saw a Audi car with a PY-??-??-? licence plate pulling over close to a garbage bin ( I bet the owner has to be a rich resident of Mangalore, only that the vehicle has been registered in Pondichery just to avoid paying higher taxes in Karnataka. If these people have money to buy expensive cars why can't they shell out some cash in registering their vehicles in their own state. Greedy rich folks, I guess!) The lady driver of that Audi rolls down her car window, and tosses out three 'Spar' shopping bags of garbage, one by one towards the garbage bin. Luckily one bag makes into the opening of the garbage bin, while the other two bags hit the bin and land beneath the dumpster. I thought that the lady would step out of her car and have the courtesy in picking up those two plastic bags and insert them in the dumpster. But I was wrong --the lady just rolled up her car window and drove off. I only wish this lady had some common and civic sense. Period.

And in yet another case pointing to Mangalore's abysmal civic sense, residents living on multi-storied apartments have been throwing their filthy garbage below on streets, alleys, neighbors yards etc; etc; --as a result the residents and shop owners beneath these apartments have to bear the brunt of such callousness. Not only do they have to put with the unpleasant sight of dumped garbage, but the accompanying stench also has dented their business. Stray dogs pull apart the plastic covers, further spreading the waste. Residents have to pacify their guests and shop owners have to put up with the customers complaints  about the foul smell and mess. What the residents of those apartments are doing is absolutely a cruel act and uncivilized manners of the so called literate community of Mangalore, which is pathetic and senseless. It's time that the residents of those apartments realize what they are doing is wrong, and straighten up their nasty habits.

Apart from the over flowing city garbage bins, there are also heap of ' man-made ' garbage spots all over the city. When I said " man-made " garbage spots,  meaning that one person started dumping his waste, second person followed the same, and then quite a few people started dumping garbage at that spot, which eventually became a new garbage dumping station!! And since these garbage spots are not in city's daily garbage collection list they get unattended resulting in huge pile of rotten garbage, until someone informs the City officials to clear the mess. Also in many places when signs are posted not to throw garbage in that area,  people still dump garbage. How ignorant one could be?

Although Mangalore City Corporation has been presented with an excellence award for the first position in Solid Waste Management organized by Jadaipur University, Kolkata in November 2011--and even as City officials, citizens and visitors perceive Mangalore as a " Clean City " ?? --I think it has miles to go though it does sell portions of compost manure. If the city of Pune could earn Rs 14 crore a year from waste, why can't Mangalore City Corporation also emulate it? According to sources the City generates nearly 200 tonnes per day of waste which is handled by the City Health Department --but at present the City can only handle 120 tonnes of garbage per day, so the need for segregation into biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste is very much needed.

In 2009, Mangalore City Corporation spent Rs 9.88 crore for garbage disposal costs (now it should be way more than that amount), with nearly one-third of it is utilized towards workers wages. Looking at the present conditions of the garbage disposal standards, there are a few drawbacks in the system. They are: No proper workers training as to how to handle and collect waste systematically ( I have also noticed that the city garbage collectors spend too much time going through the thrash looking for recyclable items like plastic bags, plastic bottles, etc; etc;, and when they do that at every garbage dump area the rotten smell from the loaded dump truck is released into the air, spreading terrible pollution); garbage is not being segregated; trucks hauling waste don't have segregated compartments; sanitary workers are not provided with safety hazard equipments/ safety clothing, thereby posing health hazards; bio-medical waste from many medical establishments find its way into city garbage bins ( Other day City officials and police discovered human skeletals in a alley garbage area --some say the skeletals could be from medical college practicals laboratory ?? Whatever? But still an alley is not a place to dispose human remains. Is this what educated people do?); illegal disposal of waste into sea causing serious public health and environmental threat. The City officials should immediately take the initiative in rectifying all these drawbacks so that the garbage disposal could be operated smoothly and systematically.

The City had already planned to implement the three-package-solid waste management system, where the agency hired to undertake that system will collect waste from door-to-door, segregate it and haul it to the dumping yard in Pachchanady, using tippers. The hired company that hauls garbage has to also sweep streets, remove weeds and clean road dividers. But now that the State Government has delayed in approving this system, the MCC's proposed system is in a very stagnant stage -- and until the government approves this deal, the garbage woes in the city will continue and the citizens have to bear with all the hassles, inconveniences, health hazard scare and above all, the ' STINKING ' atmosphere.

So what is the reason that the government is not approving this system, as requested by the Mangalore City Corporation on behalf of the residents of Mangalore. Is the government waiting to see more Malaria cases or other diseases spread from the rotten garbage in Mangalore. Oh well, that's what you get from the government you trusted and voted them into power. If the government can approve the funds for Chief Minister's and other ministers travel expenses to Dakshina Kannada and Mangalore practically every week, then why not oblige the request made by Mangalore City Corporation pertaining to the system that will ease the garbage problems in Mangalore.

With the garbage situation still not solved, it looks like one needs to be in power or have a lot of money to get problems fixed or jobs done. Like a dilapidated road gets fixed only when a minister's motorcade is scheduled to pass through it. Likewise, only when an MLA or a Minister resides in your area do you get regular drinking water and other amenities. Residents of Mangalore will have to wait and see, until yet another example of this aberration of democracy unfolds before their eyes, when the presence of a high authority steps in to solve the garbage problems in Mangalore --until then it will be all history!!

I know that the garbage menace in Mangalore is a 'stinky' and 'uncomfortable' situation to many residents. It is certainly hard, but is all one can be expected to do when surrounded on all sides by thrash. And after living and moving around in the such community for long enough you can't even smell it anymore, anyways. You will have to bear with it, and live with it!