Holy Shit! That’s Not Smart, MCC ignoring Defecation on Beaches
Mangaluru: Good news to Mangaluru today, 28 September, where Swacch Bharat Mission will officially handover certificate declaring Mangaluru as an open defecation free city to Mangaluru City Corporation. A team of officials from the mission under the ministry of urban development had arrived in the city for a survey spread over three-days from September 25, where they had examined various records besides undertaking spot visits of various places across the city to ascertain facts for themselves. As per Mayor Harinath M who told reporters that Mangaluru is the third city in Karnataka after Mysuru and Udupi to bag this coveted tag. While Udupi bagged this for cities with population up to 1 lakh, Mangaluru did so for cities with population up to 5 lakh and Mysuru for cities with a population of 10 lakh and above. The city corporation has already taken up several programmes as per state government guidelines to achieve this coveted tag, Harinath said.
Well said by the Mayor- but how about defecation still going on our beaches like Panambur Beach, Ullal Beach, and other beaches in the MCC limits. Then why the hurry in declaring Mangaluru as “Open Defecation Free City”. Have the members of the Swacch Bharath Mission surveyed the City beaches- I bet not? An early morning visit to these beaches will reveal the true facts of Open defecation, where migrant workers who are not provided with toilets by their employers or house owners use beaches for their nature calls. Exhorting cooperation from all concerned to take this agenda of cleanliness still further, Mayor had said the resolve of all Mangalureans now should be to make this coastal city clean, beautiful and green. Incidentally, the Mayor on August 15 had declared 16 of the 60 wards of the city as open defecation free and indicated that the city corporation will emulate this in the remaining wards by October 2 – Gandhi Jayanti Day. Let’s wait and see!
In the meantime, during an interaction session on World Tourism Day, 27 September on the development of Tourism at Panambur Beach, Yathish Baikampady-CEO of Panambur Beach Tourism Development Project said, ” It’s sad to note that migrant workers defecate on beaches, since they are are not provided with toilet facilities by their employers or house owners. When these laborers use beaches to defecate, it ruins the beauty of the beaches. I urge MCC to take necessary steps in constructing toilets on the beaches under its limits. Locals also should help the City authorities in informing the police if they come across anyone defecating on the beaches or public areas. If proper awareness is created, surely open defecation can be prevented”.
In response to the comments by Yathish, the Commissioner of MCC, Mohammed Nazir had said, “In order to build toilets proper space is required, and also that maintaining these public toilets is very essential. We are ready for this project, provided citizens are ready to take the responsibility of maintaining such toilets. We will build these toilets within a month if we get support and cooperation from the public.
In conclusion, I fully don’t blame these poor people/laborers- when they have no proper toilets they look for open-air facilities to relieve themselves. And I think, pooping on the beach seems more convenient to them- no carrying of water- you sit on the beach, you do your thing, and automatically the waves will clean your mess. No flush required? But still, it is not a good thing to notice such acts on the beach, when many tourists/beach-goers storm our City Beach for fun and frolic. No one wants to get sick from all these human feces mixed in the water. It is advisable that the MCC authorities look into this “shitty” situation so that visitors to our beaches will not have a chance to encounter such “pooping” scenes in the morning- and make a mockery of our beautiful beaches. Let’s hope for “Swacch Bharath” and “Swacch Mangaluru Beaches”!
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pooping on the beach side is a situation seen on the entire coast line.Ewen in muredeshwar a major tourist spot one can several doing their big job on the beach itself and the whole area stinks. if at all the MCC makes toilets here in the beaches proper security should be provided lest the users steal the hardware and go off
Meanwhile, a group of elected MLAs and ministers were busy writing proposals to get 2000 koti rupaayees and congratulating each other for ‘smaaaaart city’ status. Yes – smaart city only by the low standards of a third world country!!