Spoiling Mluru’s Swachhata! Aftermath of Sunday’s Old Clothes Sale by Out-of-Town Street Vendors
Mangaluru: On Sunday 30 September, there was a big programme at Kudmul Ranga Rao Purabhavana (Town Hall)- Mangaluru pertaining to Environment in keeping our City Green and Clean, following a Green Walkathon which started from Mangala Stadium and culmination at Town Hall, where Minister U T Khader was the chief guest along with many other eminent persons, organized by BIT and BEADS. And while talking about keeping Mangaluru City Clean, on Monday morning, you will be surprised to see a piles of garbage, comprising of old clothes left behind by the out-of-town street vendors, who come down to Mangaluru every Sunday to do their illegal business- and when they go back they leave our City trashed and dirty. and this has been happening not just now, but for months- and MCC has done nothing to stop it.
Even Yours Truly had brought this issue to the notice of Mayor Bhasker Moily few days ago, but seems like he didn’t do much. Oh well! The ongoing festival period is not just heightening the spirits of people; it is also increasing the size of the mounds of garbage already plaguing the city. Left-over flowers, sugar-canes, plantain leaves, ash gourds etc that found no takers during Ayudha Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi, Monti Festh, Dasara, Tulasi Pooja, and other festivals lined the streets of popular city areas in the city, blocking traffic movement in some parts, painting a grim picture of the garbage collection and disposal system in the city post the festivities. The Mangaluru City Corporation has been nice to these street vendors who come from Bagalkote, Arsikere, Hassan and other parts of Karnataka, in allowing them to make business during various festival days.
But the problem is that once they are done with their sales for the day, they leave all the mess/garbage behind, which in some places are seen piled up. And next day early morning the poor Pourakarmikas of MCC/Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt Ltd are seen sweeping and collecting the waste and the garbage clearance trucks attempting to carry out the herculean task of ridding the roads of the rotting garbage. But my question is that, why MCC employees have to clean up the mess left behind by the street vendors coming from outside Mangaluru? These street vendors are not even the citizens of Mangaluru. They don’t even pay City taxes. Then why is MCC not taking any action against these street vendors who leave behind a big mess, that Pourakarmikas have to clean up.
Added to the mess created by street flower vendors during festival times, we also have these street vendors who carry on with their trade selling old clothes/rejected company branded clothes in the vicinity of Town hall- and when they go back to their respective places, they leave behind piles of clothes, and other waste, for Pourakarmikas to clean it up on Monday morning. I definitely think is not right, and this has to be stopped, once for all. These street vendors have to clean up their own mess, and not allow others to do it.
Frustrated and exhausted employee of Antony Waste Handling Cell on Monday morning cleaning up near Town Hall, speaking to Team Mangalorean said, ” This is not fair, leaving behind such a large mess for us to clean, left behind by these street vendors. They don’t even give us ten rupees to do their clean up work. While we have to clean up the daily garbage, this additional garbage by these out-of-town street vendors is a burden for us. These vendors don’t care, nor MCC officials care about us. Why should we have to clean the mess left behind by non-city residents. We only hope that MCC will look into this situation, and warn these street vendors about their carelessness and ugliness”
These Street vendors need to be blamed for the garbage-lined roads. Footpath vendors, mainly selling flowers, fruits and vegetables, would dispose of the waste wherever they set up business. Early morning traffic jams come with an additional problem – garbage piled up by the informal market set up by street vendors at some areas. This is a never ending problem-When the vendors wind up for the day, they leave the garbage behind, spilling on the roads, inconveniencing the commuters and shopkeepers around the areas.
Although Mangaluru is ranked as the top three top cleanest cities in the country, but there has been always garbage and filth scattered all over the city. The MCC officials have turned a blind eye towards the garbage created by these street vendors. These vendors need to be warned, and fined if they leave behind garbage after their business. Yes, there is no magic wand, or silver bullet, to solve India’s or Mangaluru’s civic problems. We are realists, and accept that many of Mangaluru’s problems are hard to solve even if the government and public work closely together and money was freely available. Of our many civic problems, we view the problem of visible filth on our streets as a behaviour and attitude problem that can be solved in our lifetime (or rather, this month). This can be achieved without spending money or changing legislation or systems. It requires coming up with smart ideas to change people’s rooted cultural behaviour and attitudes. And making sure those ideas work. And to make this happen we need public support in keeping the city clean, and we also need more volunteers.
Let’s not be ignorant- let’s appreciate the work done by MCC Pourakarmikas, volunteers of (Swachh Bharath) Ramakrishna Mission and all others who are trying to keep Mangaluru clean. We need to learn manners of cleanliness, we need to join hands with MCC and other voluntary associations who are striving to keep this beautiful coastal city clean. Let’s not dirty it by our ignorance and dirty manners. MCC needs to educate these street vendors about cleanliness, and if they are still ignorant, punish them with hefty fines. And if they still ignore MCC warnings, don’t allow them to do their ugly business in our town. Problem solved. Period.
