BENGALURU : For the 70-odd children of Government Urdu Higher Primary School in Devasandra, KR Puram, the only piece of vacant land which posed as a playground for them next to their school, has turned into a dumping yard, filled with mammoth piles of waste and garbage.
They are forced to sit in class, enduring the repulsive stench emitted by the garbage, that occupies almost every inch of the ground, once used for physical activities and games.
The school reopened a few days ago and the children, mostly residing close by, now have no space for activities. The vacant land, which is private property, is hardly 50 metres from the school.
Local residents said the garbage pile has accumulated over four years, and grew faster when the school was forced to remain closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
TNIE visited the school and experienced first-hand the stench that the kids are forced to bear while attending classes.
It is not just wet or dry waste -- there is e-waste from an electronics goods godown close by, besides sanitary and construction waste. The smell and flies make the place unhygienic, and when it rains, it’s a nightmare for children and teachers, some faculty members said.
“Just because it’s a government school, children should not be treated like this. They can easily fall sick,” said a local resident.
A bigger threat is the meat waste and offal dumped on the ground by meat shop owners in the area.
This attracts dogs — making kids vulnerable — besides leading to eagles swooping down for the meat.
According to locals, for over four years, nothing has been done to clean up the place, despite bringing it to the notice of BBMP officials.
Parents and children are now demanding that the ground be cleaned up to let children study and play in a cleaner environment.
BBMP officials, including Joint Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Sarfaraz Khan, did not respond to calls and messages to them for their comments.