Kundapur: Residents Voice Displeasure Over Lingering Firecracker Debris at Nehru Maidan
Kundapur: Local inhabitants are expressing considerable discontent regarding the protracted accumulation of refuse at Nehru Maidan, the designated site for temporary firecracker vendors during the recent Diwali and Tulasi festival festivities.
Reports indicate that the municipal authorities levied a charge of Rs 3,000 upon each vendor at the time of license issuance and operational permit granting for the aforementioned temporary stalls. Despite the majority of vendors having vacated the premises subsequent to the conclusion of the festive period, substantial quantities of waste generated by these stalls remain uncleared, according to allegations made by K. Vikas Hegde, the former chairman of the Urban Development Authority.
Hegde has issued a critique of the municipal administration, asserting that while officials routinely attribute detriments to the city’s cleanliness and aesthetic appeal to minor roadside vendors, they appear to disregard the significant accumulation of chemical-laden firecracker waste. This waste, he contends, poses a considerable threat to both human and animal health, and its continued presence in substantial quantities directly contravenes the municipality’s stated objectives regarding public health and environmental stewardship.
In a formal press statement, Hegde questioned the selective application of municipal regulations, specifically challenging whether the principles of maintaining civic cleanliness are intended solely for enforcement against the general populace, while the governing authorities themselves are exempt from adherence. The ongoing situation at Nehru Maidan has thus become a focal point of public concern, prompting calls for immediate and comprehensive remediation.