‘Temple Town’ gone ‘Garbage Town’! Udupi CMC Encounters Garbage Menace
Udupi: Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) which was proudly boasting about winning the “Cleanliness Award”, has now being bombarded by the citizens since the City has turned into a dump yard, with garbage/waste/debris scattered at many prominent places. With piles of garbage has turned into an eyesore for the beautiful temple town of Udupi, and it has been difficult for the motorists and pedestrians to miss the stench emanating from here as they pass by. This garbage situation has now turned into a major cause for concern. Things have only gone from bad to worse, with hotels, hospitals, vegetable vendors and industries, including residents dumping their waste by the roadside. With animal waste also being dumped here, the residents are forced to put up with the menace of stray dogs.
The distant dream of Swachh Bharath keeps on haunting people, and Udupi which is fondly called as the “Temple Town” is turning into a “Garbage Town” with garbage being dumped on the footpaths. Along with this, the National Highway construction work is still causing a lot of inconveniences, and people are finding the construction sites as the best place to dump garbage. Garbage consisting of old clothes, used electronic items, tender coconut shells etc etc is seen dumped near the Karavali Junction. The smell emanating from the waste at this Junction is causing a lot of inconvenience to the pedestrians and also the frequent commuters who board the bus here.
Many of the daily wagers who have set up huts near the Junction are also bearing the brunt of the garbage menace. And with the start of monsoon season, the situation has gone worse, with garbage getting rotten mixed with rain water, and giving scope for mosquito breeding, which may result in diseases like Malaria, Dengue and other communicable diseases. In the meantime, the Health Department has also identified malaria and dengue cases in the district, and its time that the concerned authorities should step in and initiate proper action immediately.
The family of labourers entrenched here since long are being exposed to the risk of suffering from dengue/malaria because of this unsightly and decomposing dump at their doorstep. The menace of stray dogs has also worsened on account of this dump, and these dogs which run around and pounce upon one another at will, have caused several accidents. One hopes that the concerned officials will take notice of this situation, take steps to clear the dump and ensure that garbage is not heaped in unwanted sites that are not meant for this purpose.
In spite of citizens raising their voices and suggestions, and also media highlighting this garbage issue, no action has been initiated in this regard till date. Seems like the CMC has now failed miserably in its attempt to handle this problem. With the citizens’ mounting woes, it is time the CMC wake up from their sleep and rectify this serious problem of garbage menace at the earliest, before citizens get affected with diseases. The opposition and the ruling CMC members are found raising their voices on waste management during the CMC meeting while the waste dumped at the Karavali Junction has remained unnoticed. One hopes that the city municipality here will come out of its slumber and do its duty of clearing the garbage and warning the concerned. It is advisable that the citizens in general and businesses in particular are also expected to understand their responsibility of trying to improve quality of air and environment rather than spoiling it. Let Udupi remain as “Temple Town” and NOT a “Garbage Town?”
