Piled garbage makes for a stinky footpath in Jayanagar.
The footpath at the intersection of Someshwaranagar Main Road and Byrasandra 8th Main Road in Jayanagar is blocked with garbage.
With his banana-selling cart right across the dumping area, Chanbasha has a clear view of the garbage. “For the last six years, it has been the same story. The garbage truck stands right there but people still choose to dump their garbage on the ground,” said Chanbasha.
J Vishwanath, Superintendent Engineer of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) South Zone said, “The public does not have any sense of duty. Imposing fines is not enough. People must be aware of their responsibilities. The Solid Waste Management (MSW) Rules, 2016 clearly states the responsibilities of a waste generator.”
Even the footpaths of Byrasandra 8th Main Road are not free, and remain littered with household wastes. To avoid stepping on the waste, people are forced to step onto the road while covering their noses. A newcomer to the city, Z. Ahmed said, “Garbage should not be on the road. Bengaluru is such a big city. Moreover, this road is near an important hospital like NIMHANS.”
“Accidents due to pedestrians and cyclists on the roads are a major problem in Bangalore. Sidewalks are made to separate vehicular and pedestrian movement. They create a friendly, safe and comfortable space to walk in Bangalore,” said Harsha Nadagoudar, Director at Hybrid Urbanists Private Limited.
Working at a multi-specialty clinic nearby, Zein has accepted it to be the norm. He said, “BBMP workers come daily to clean the area but at the end of the day, the condition is as before.” The garbage comes from the neighbouring residential houses. A litterer arrives every couple of minutes on a bike or on foot to deposit a new trash bag under the warning sign of Rs. 5000 fine on the wall.
Nadagoudar said, “Due to the boom in IT and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES), there was a sudden demand for infrastructure which led to urban sprawl and haphazard development leading to smaller driveways and pedestrian roads. The BBMP has organized protocol for the collection of the garbage but due to inefficiency, there is inconsistency in the timing of collection leading to dumping of garbage wherever possible. People dump it while going for a walk.”
Adil lives in the street nearby. He said, “I am not aware of any waste collection system by BBMP. I do not care about that either.”
