HYDERABAD: An entire year has passed but still the apparent handicap that the municipal corporation officials face when handling the garbage situation at the Charminar is only dampening the mood of thousands of visitors flocking to the historic monument during Ramzan.
At the end of each day, the entire Charminar Pedestrianisation Project (CPP) area lies littered with garbage as GHMC’s cleaners get to work only in the morning. While there are dustbins, most of them are either overflowing or cannot be seen because vendors would have camped around them.
Every night, a puddle of garbage assembles itself in the Gulzar Houz area, where the bollards have been recently installed. Disposables, plastic, food leftovers, water runnage from shops—all coalesce to form a river of sorts which goes on to encircle the Charminar on its other sides, that everyone steers clear of. However, due to a problem with the slope gradient of the pavements, the waste water cannot drain out and stays collected till the next morning.
However, the GHMC has reportedly confined itself to a straitjacket when it comes to dealing with the garbage issue. Speaking to Express, GHMC South Zone Commissioner, B Srinivas Reddy, said, “The workers can only start working early in the morning because there are less number of visitors in the mornings. At night, even if required, we cannot send garbage vehicles inside because of the crowd and the CPP.”
Regarding the dustbins, Reddy was of the opinion that no number of dustbins would ever be enough for the task at hand. “That area generates so much of garbage, that even if one lines up a 100 dustbins, they would get filled up within 30 minutes,” he added.
It may be noted that the CPP was in fact designed to restrict vehicular movement around Charminar. And with the recently put up bollards preventing vehicles from entering and parking on a stretch of pavement from the Gulzar Houz to the Kaman, it seems GHMC is left with no option as of now.
In view of the ongoing Ramzan month, and the concomitant rush in Charminar area, the Hyderabad Traffic Police have arranged free parking for visitors in the vicinity of the monument. The free parking places are Old Pension office in Khilwat, Khilwat playground, Charminar bus terminal, Quli Qutub Shah Stadium near City College and Mufeed ul Anam School near Etebaar Chowk, said a release by the Hyderabad Traffic Police. It also provided a few numbers for visitors to contact in case of any trouble. Traffic Control Room 040-27852482. Inspector Tr. PS Bahadurpura 040 27853566