Bengaluru: Sixty-nine-year old Deivanai has been a resident of Shankar Nagar for the past 25 years. In order to keep herself in good health, she heads to the nearby Indira Priyadarshini Park, maintained by the BBMP in their area. But instead of getting some fresh air at the park, all she gets is unbearable stench of garbage dumped near the compound wall of the park.
Deivanai told Deccan Chronicle, “Every morning the pourakarmikas come with their push cart to collect garbage in our area. While most of us hand over the garbage to the pourakarmikas, those who don’t, stuff their rubbish in plastic bags and dump garbage near the park when they pass by."
The illegal dumping of garbage near the park has created a lot of problems. Firstly the park is not a dumpyard to throw away garbage just like that. It is only a place where all the push carts transship their garbage into bigger trucks, Deivanai said.
She added that for people like her, who head to the park to get some fresh air, the illegal dumping of garbage is a major problem. Murali E, a resident of 3rd cross, Shankar Nagar said, “What is bothering us more is that, some even set alight the garbage piled up near the park. Those who head to the park to get some fresh air, expose themselves to the smoke emanating from burnt garbage. This affects their health as the smoke is filled with toxic elements.”
He felt the only solution would be for the BBMP to identify those who throw garbage here illegally and slap them with heavy fines. In addition, there is this problem of monkey menace. This is especially prevalent in Shankar Nagar and surrounding areas. Monkeys moving around in groups are a nightmare for residents, said Ramachandran N, another resident of Shankar Nagar.
I have cleared all existing ‘black spots’ in my ward: Mahadev M
DC talks to Mr Mahadev M, Corporator, Marappana Palya ward
Excerpts.
Are you aware that walkers in Indira Priyadarshini Park at Shankar Nagar in your ward are badly affected by the dumping of garbage next to the park's compound wall?
The place next to the park is used to load garbage collected in small carts by pourakarmikas into big trucks. Dumping of garbage at that spot is illegal.
You said it is illegal to dump garbage next to the park. But residents are casually throwing their garbage there…
I have cleared all the existing ‘black spots’ in my ward. This place is not a dumping spot. I will ensure that those who throw garbage near the park will not be allowed to go Scot-free.
In addition to garbage being thrown there, the park users complain that the accumulated garbage is often set on fire…
Just to make it clear, dumping of garbage itself is a crime. I will instruct our BBMP officials to take stringent action against those who set fire to it and also those who dump garbage here.
