Heegu Unte-Part 2! Why STILL Garbage on Streets, When AWHCPL does Door to Door Pick-Up
Heegu Unte-Part 2! Why STILL Garbage on Roads, When Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt Ltd {AWHCPL} does Door to Door Pick-Up- this Mumbai Based Company handles City’s Waste Disposal at a Cost of Rs 18 Crore Annually- so what good is it if garbage is still scattered in many parts of the City. When Mangaluru is considered to be ONE of the CLEANEST city in the nation, the scenes of garbage piled up here and there in the City, shows a wrong image.
Mangaluru: This is the second week of this “Heegu Unte” column, where Mangalorean.com will bring to you in retrospect and in perspective, highlighting on civic issues, unplanned and incomplete projects, Traffic mayhem, Irregular roads and Drainage systems, etc etc-in the so-called “SMART CITY”, but unfortunately doesn’t look like we have “SMART PEOPLE” at the helm to prove it. Looking at the recent flooding in the City, is a clear example as to how the development and infrastructure had been undertaken. Crores of Rupees were spent on restructure of drainage-but it seems like the hard earned money of taxpayers has gone down the “Drain”, when we look at the water overflowing from these newly constructed drainage, thereby flooding the City, and making the life of motorists and commuters miserable.
The idea on using the catch phrase as “Heegu Unte” stuck me, since I have been hearing those words from my friend the BIG MAN Er Jerardine D’Souza, every time “Strange Things” happen during an event or a project. So I thought why not use the same concept to my new column starting today. While the Kannada caption rhymes well and good, but I asked a few lecturers and few other educated people to translate the same into English- and this is what they sent me -” True but unbelievable”; “Strange but True”; Mysteries of the World”; “Enigmatic World”; “Wonders of the World”- whatever? Beginning last Monday, Heegu Unte, Part-I! featured the report- https://www.mangalorean.com/heegu-unte-part-i-mangaluru-smart-city-what-name-it-as-floating-city/
Four years ago, Mangaluru City corporation switched from nine contractors who were handling the City’s disposal of solid waste from 60 wards in the city, to a single contractor based in Mumbai, named Antony Waste Handling Pvt Ltd who took charge of garbage disposal in Mangaluru starting December 2014, including door-to-door garbage collection, transportation of waste, street sweeping, divider cleaning, vegetation cutting/trimming and various other sanitation work. The main intention of MCC was to prevent residents and others disposing garbage on streets- but sadly if you go around the City now, you’ll notice piles of garbage at many spots.
By awarding this job to the single Mumbai contractor the MCC lessened the burden by dealing with nearly nine contractors who were hauling the city’s waste. Even though MCC was spending nearly Rs 11 crore annually paying the nine contractors, but agreed to pay Rs 17.62 crore annually, to the Mumbai based company since they use all hydraulic vehicles to collect door-to-door waste collection, then also transport the waste to the compost plant in Pachchanady, and also all their vehicles have GPS equipment, and they will also clean streets and three beaches.
But even after paying such a huge sum of money to AWHCPL to do the door-to-door collection of garbage, its sad to note that garbage is still littered on the streets by citizens of Mangaluru. Why is no one taking action against this? While volunteers of Ramakrishna Mission, and other organizations are doing community service by trying to keep Mangaluru, it is indeed ignorant on the part of the citizens to litter waste wherever they feel like.
Everyone learns by their past mistakes, but SURELY NOT in the case of Mangaluru City Corporation. Even after they had experienced such garbage littering issues in the past, still they are reluctant in rectifying the problems. Even though Mangaluru is proud enough to say it is a “Smart City”, but is surely lacking of “Smart Officials” at the helm of it. Like one of our reader Sheik had posted his comments on our website blog saying, “I was repeatedly saying this city is “Smart City” without “Smart People”-Despite being highest literacy this city seems to have lack of civic sense. Cleanliness reflects the mind. This is the same reason they can’t elect ‘WISE” politician from the last 25 years. Jai Hind!
Featured as one of the cleanest city in India- our educational coastal town needs to improve. Sadly, to note that not even the third cleanest city in the country, and second cleanest city in Karnataka-Namma Kudla could save itself from the public litter. Stray animals and crows scavenged on leftovers. It’s time that authorities start slapping fines if cleanliness is not maintained or if they catch someone littering in the public. What are our officials waiting for? Take action immediately, and see that Mangaluru, and not just boast of the clean city status, this city is christened with.
Is this what “Clean India” campaign that we are looking forward to, that too being educated citizens of India, where Mangaluru is considered as the Education hub. Can’t we learn from our past mistakes? If we think that there are people to clean our mess, then why even practice or observe “Swachh Bharath” campaign. In conclusion, if our citizens can’t keep their surroundings clean, and ignore “Swachh Bharath Abhiyan”, how can we ever think of having a Clean India or Clean Mangaluru. We need to enforce strict laws and punish those who litter in the public, then only we can look forward for “Swachh Bharath” and for that matter “Swachh Mangaluru”!-If not PM Modi’s “Swachh Bharath” will NOT be his dream come true!
Let’s work together and see that we keep our surroundings clean. Remember we should learn from our mistakes to change, and not continuing our old habits. And let’s remember to make “Namma Mangaluru, Swachha Mangaluru!”.
Also Read:
- Heegu Unte, Part-I! Mangaluru-‘SMART CITY’-What? Name it as ‘FLOATING CITY’!
- Attn: Mayor! Have You Noticed that the Road Leading to your House is FILTHY?
- Pourakarmikas Resume Waste Pick Up Today until they Plan another Protest?
- Got Garbage! Attavar Area on the Verge of ‘Swachh Mangaluru’ Abuse?