‘Longest & Largest Garbage Dump Area Award’ goes to VALENCIA WARD on Gorigudda Road

‘Longest & Largest Garbage Dump Area Award’ goes to VALENCIA WARD on Gorigudda Road, near Cemetery/Damodar Suvarna Road, opposite Valencia Church

Mangaluru: The Valencia area ward corporator (Damodar Suvarna road/near Cemetery in Gorigudda) should be proud of the (imaginary) ‘ Longest & Largest Garbage Dump Area Award’ or should be ASHAMED of the pile of garbage that has been adoring the long stretch of the said road in Valencia. Even though this spot is always seen littered with waste all year long, with the ongoing strike of the Pourakarmikas reaching the 11th day, the heap of garbage has increased, with residents and businesses dumping the waste in this area.

The garbage menace is increasing day by day, even after Mangaluru City Corporation, Ramakrishna Mission, and many other social organizations had played an important role in keeping the City clean through various projects. Unfortunately, there are way too many people who are still abusing the Swachh Campaign and littering the City at every nook and corner- and nothing has been done by the MCC or law enforcement officials in stopping such illegal acts.

City officials are totally neglecting and turning a blind eye to such a disgusting, filthy, stinky and ugliest situation that makes a mockery of “Swachh Mangaluru”, and brings a bad name to the so-called ‘Smart City’? The area near Gorigudda Catholic Cemetery is ridden with all kinds of waste, like- construction debris, kitchen waste, medical waste, empty liquor bottles, rotten fruits and veggies, and not-you can notice all kinds of thrash lining the sides of the street- and stray dogs ripping open trash bags and feasting on the leftover food waste. You can even see men urinating along the stretch of this street, behind a couple of not-in-use city buses.

This spot even has signs not to dispose of garbage, but people still litter. Dumping waste, urinating etc near the Valencia Cemetery, is this the respect people are paying for the deceased- too sad. Sometimes people attending the funeral rites can’t bear the stink and have to wade through the scattered waste- and what has the area ward corporator Ms Jacintha Alfred done, ask locals. Absolutely nothing! Even dead animals, including rats and chicken and other meat waste, are also dumped along the street, making the area much worse, with the foul smell-total unhygienic.

Ignorant men also urinate on this stretch of the street, hiding behind two-three stalled buses-thanks to MCC for not providing toilets in the City? It all began with the thought that “it cannot be just about sweeping the streets for five years. Swacch Bharath/Swacch Mangaluru was not just about keeping streets clean. It was about creating awareness. An awareness would then automatically lead to people keeping the city and the country clean and taking the responsibility of ensuring it stays that way.

On a final note, while I end this report my humble request to the Deputy Commissioner , MCC Commissioner, MCC Mayor, MLA Vedavya Kamath, Area Ward Corporator, the Health Inspector with MCC and other concerned authorities to come up with a solution to end this garbage menace on this street which is haunting the walkers, joggers and pedestrians who walk by- thus making a good impact towards our efforts in making Mangaluru Swachh? As we echo the guiding thought ‘Swachha Mangaluru Kanasu Alla, Neevu Manassu Madabekashte’ (Clean Mangaluru is Not a Dream, You just have to make up your mind), hoping some positive results will emerge soon in stopping the IGNORANT from dumping waste near cemetery on Gorigudda Road. Thank You.