Nehru Maidan Cow-Dunged? ‘Gomandala’ event creates BIG Mess for Poor Pourakarmikas to Clean
Mangaluru: Following close on its heels after Team Mangalorean had published two articles ” Holy Cow ! Cattle-Big & Small Galore at Nehru Maidan for the 2-Day ‘Gomandala’ Event ” and ” Holy Cow! Not just a Ox, but Sri Basaveshwara Swamy-the Bovine Seer of Ramanagara ” couple of days ago, once again, Team Mangalorean couldn’t resist in making yet another article, on the terrible and smelly mess that was left behind after the two-day event at Nehru Maidan, which ended on Sunday evening.
Holy Cows! Cattle-Big & Small were seen in large numbers at the Nehru Maidan, Mangaluru during ‘Gomandala’ Awareness Programme on Cattle to mark the 20th Anniversary of Govanithashraya Trust, Mangaluru on 7 and 8 December 2019. In order to bring awareness on Cattle, Govanithashraya Trust, Mangaluru-a unique Service Organization venturing in twin directions viz: protecting cows and women rehabilitation, and which is celebrating its 20th year in existence, and to mark this occasion had organized this 2-day awareness programme named “GOMANDALA”. Over 100 cows and their calves had taken their place at a specially-created environment at the venue, where they were adored and petted by visitors and animal lovers. People had a glimpse of an entire economy that revolves around these bovines.
Clean Up Work by volunteers/workers ONLY during the two-day event, & after that…..??
And to keep the venue clean during the two-day event, the organizers had their volunteers/helpers to clean the cow-dung and cow urine, every now and then. And that should be appreciated as part of PM Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharath campaign. Now that the event got over, the organizers didn’t had the slightest courtesy to clean all the cow-dung, hay etc etc created at the venue, before they left- and as always the slogging, hard-working Poor Pourakarmikas employed with Antony Waste Handling Pvt Ltd have to do all the Dirty job of cleaning the cow-dung and others waste. This is total ignorance on the part of the organizers, even though the event was on awareness on protecting cows, they should have thought of Awareness on Cleanliness, which PM Modi and many other NGO’s like Ramakrishna Mission and others are campaigning for a cleaner and greener Mangaluru!
….Total Ignorance! Organizers leaving behind a Mess for Pourakarmikas to Clean!
It’s sad to note that every time a mega event or a political gathering takes place at the Nehru Maidan, a huge pile of garbage is left behind, and the Pourakarmikas have to do all the cleaning, apart from their daily City clean up work. But why is MCC not taking any clean up charges or a deposit, so that organizers will be careful in not littering the place, or they themselves should arrange for the clean up, and not tax payers money paid to the garbage handling company and their employees to do this third parties clean up. Doesn’t make any sense to me!
One elderly Pourakarmika quite tired speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “Why are they torturing us to do their clean up, when the event organizers don’t even pay us. We go through this situation every time there is a big function or a rally here at the Maidan. Also during Mangaluru Dasara we had to face the brunt of the huge pile of garbage left along the street of the Dasara parade. Cleaning all this smelly cow dung with no proper safety gear, is making our lives miserable. Just because we are poor, is this how they treat us. Our lives should not be like this”.
Sources reveal that the entire Nehru Maidan property was donated by a Catholic family, to be used ONLY for sporting events. But now apart from a few sporting events, rest of the time Nehru Maidan is used for non-sporting events. Even the Football Association is not happy with the administration for letting the Maidan for non-sporting events, which has ruined the ground, with holes dug to put up pendal, poles etc; also it is also a safety matter, where you could also find nails and other sharp objects used during the set up of tent, stage etc. And cricketers and joggers who use the Maidan, have to be very careful. A humble request to the District Administration, MCC and other concerned authorities to STOP giving Nehru Maidan for EVENTS other than SPORTS!
In conclusion, if our citizens can’t keep their surroundings clean or 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”! MCC should come up with certain rules and regulations when they allow the Nehru Maidan to be used for mega events. 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!” Hope this blatant disregard to the Swachh Bharath/Mangaluru happened today will not be repeated?