Mounds of rotting garbage piled up across every corner of the city
Uncleaned garbage piles up on the beach road in Visakhapatnam as the sanitary workers' strike enters 12th day. (Photo: DC)
Visakhapatnam: As the ongoing sanitation workers’ strike in Visakhapatnam reached 12th day, mounds of rotting garbage piled up across every corner of the city, throwing the citizens into a horrendous situation. Despite several rounds of talks between the workers’ unions and the ministers and the civic body officials, they came to an impasse and the living conditions in the city are becoming worse with every passing day.
The littered streets and overflowing dustbins were a common sight for the past 10 days and every street looked as if it was a dumping yard on Tuesday. The situation was worse in areas like One Town, Allipuram, Appu Ghar and Gopalapatnam. The up-class areas like MVP Colony, Lawsons Bay Colony and Seethammadhara were also experiencing a fair share of garbage problems.
When asked about the littering, P. Lakshamma, a resident of One Town, replied that they had to dispose of the waste near the overflowing dustbins or in the drains as there was no alternative. Not to mention, the residents living near the dustbins are suffocating from the stench emanating from the uncleared garbage.
The thundershowers are only adding to the woes of the people, emitting a filthy odour. Narayana, a resident from Akkayyapalem, said that worms and rodents were sneaking out of the garbage and he expressed great concern over public health.
The temporary measures taken by the GVMC, such as recruiting staff, dumper bin drivers and hiring JCBs, had not met the requirement of the city. Even the striking staff had been clashing with the newly hired staff, preventing them from joining the duties, which made the authorities to provide police protection to the temporary workers.
Elaborating on the issue, Vamana Rao, GVMC Employees’ Joint Action Committee Chairman, alleged that the state government is showing a vindictive attitude towards them and trying to weaken their strike. But surprisingly, in a conflict between state government and municipal workers, the Vizagites are themselves finding at the receiving end.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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