She Came, She Saw, She ‘DIDN’T’ Conquer? KSRTC Area Still Filthy & Stinky
“I will order the health department to clean the area and demolish all the illegal petty shops in the area. Bejai is very near to the Mangaluru City Corporation and people do not bother to keep this area clean. We will clean the area as soon as possible. I have also asked the Auto drivers to keep the area clean so that no one can come and defecate in this area”- said MCC Mayor Kavitha Sanil on 12 May 2017 at around 11 am (also read our earlier report- “https://www.mangalorean.com/mayor-kavitha-orders-clean-up-of-stinking-spot-near-ksrtc-junction/“
Mangaluru: Here is yet another incident to prove that “We Don’t Practice What We Preach” by the Mayor and MCC officials. On 12 May 2017, MCC Mayor Kavitha Sanil along with a bevy of her colleagues had made a surprise visit near KSRTC Junction -Bejai after receiving many complaints from the citizens about the filth and stink in that area. Looking at the mess and also the flow of dirty water coming from a nearby restaurant/hotel, the Mayor directed her officials to find out who was responsible for creating all the mess around that place, and do the clean up immediately. Sorry- but all in vain?
Nearly13 days have passed, what we all saw on 12 May ( see pics in our earlier report), from piled up garbage, flowing dirty water, open defecation etc (except that a portion of the area where the dirty water was flowing has been patched up with cement, for names sake) has remained the same as of today-25 May 2016. This makes us to ask a few questions- Was Mayor’s action just for a publicity stunt? Was it a just a one day drama to get coverage in the media? Was it just to follow the motto “We Don’t Practice, What We Preach’? Answers to these questions will be hard to get. I really do commend the Mayor for her recent actions to rectify many civic issues, but it’s the MCC officials who don’t follow up- they would rather sit behind the desk at the office and kill time, rather than attend to all these civic issues. On the other hand we have our corporators, whose mind will be wandering how to make a few extra bucks from certain builders and businessmen etc??, rather than oblige to residents grievances.
People alighting from the buses at KSRTC bus stand, come near this said spot and urinate/defecation- and very nearby to the stink coming from urinating/defecation are a few mobile canteen serving food- talk about hygiene? I saw an employee of one of these mobile canteens, taking a piss nearby, and then he comes back, uses his bare hands to mix flour to make Banana Podi. Tasty! There is so much garbage piled in the area, which could result in breeding of mosquitoes, thereby spread diseases like Malaria, Dengue etc. Also the mobile canteens are not hygienic- one bucket of water is used to clean the plates and glasses/cups. Does anyone cares – I guess NO.
Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Purshotham, an auto-rickshaw driver said, ” Mayor promised a bunch of things when she was here a few days ago. She also instructed us to see that we keep this place clean. If MCC doesn’t do their job right first, then why should we? They should first clean the area, which is so filthy, and the smell emanating from all the rotten food/garbage is sometime hard to bear. In the past we have raised our voices and even given complaints- Mayors come and go, but the problem has remained the same. We need better authorities to listen to the citizens and rectify the problems. “
A small fast food/restaurant owner also expressing his points said, ” With all these mobile canteens set up nearby, the surrounding area has been dirty. People discard the leftover food wherever they want, and a bunch of stray dogs feed on them. I pay rent, taxes and other bills, whereas MCC allows these illegal mobile canteen owners to operate their petty business for no cost. I think it’s not fair- and most of all they are not hygiene either. I keep my place clean following the food safety rules, whereas MCC never bothers to check whether these food joints are clean or not. Every evening/night this area is like a food bazaar, with few street side canteens serving low cost un-hygienic food.”
In conclusion, while many poor people and low-wage laborers depend on these mobile canteens, and also these folks don’t have a proper toilet, they defecate openly- now MCC has to come up with a solution to handle these issues, and rectify them at the earliest. But still having this kind of pathetic situation of filth, stink and un-hygienic mobile canteens in a busy heart of the City, and just a few blocks from MCC offices is not a smart and good sign for the “Smart City”?
Also Read Related Article Below:
Mayor Kavitha orders Clean up of Stinking spot near KSRTC Junction