BENGALURU: A long stretch of Nallurhalli Road pavement in Whitefield has turned into a garbage dump, forcing pedestrians, especially senior citizens and schoolchildren, to walk on the road due to the uncleared waste along the footpath. The garbage, which has been left unattended for several days, emits a foul smell, causing inconvenience for those passing through the area.
Shezad, a techie who uses the same road, mentioned that pedestrians are now forced to walk on the busy road, putting them at risk of accidents. He also pointed out that the Garden City, which was once known for its greenery, is turning into a ‘garbage city,’ with similar situations in many parts of Whitefield. He added that the uncollected garbage not only affects daily commuters but also raises health concerns, with the potential for disease spread due to the decomposing waste.
Varamalakshmi, citing the same issue, said that many people use this road for daily navigation, including techies. Whether in vehicles or on foot, it is difficult to navigate the road, especially for elderly people and schoolchildren, who often struggle to walk on the busy road as the pavements are filled with garbage dumps, she added.
Another resident, Ravi Kumar, said the lack of garbage collection facilities in the area is a major issue. He pointed out that residents and others throw garbage on the road at night. Due to the unattended waste, foul smell emanates, forcing pedestrians and residents to either hold their noses or walk on the road. He also sadly noted that cows often eat the plastic waste disposed of on the road.
Rekha Nair, a social activist from Mahadevapur said that the piles of garbage are a constant eyesore in the city. The lack of proper waste disposal is harming the environment, with plastic and other non-biodegradable materials being scattered across the streets.
Speaking to TNIE, Joint Commissioner of Mahadevapur, Dr Dakshayini, said that garbage dumping is not just restricted to Mahadevapura or one particular area but it’s all over the city and one of the major reasons is that citizens stuff their garbage in plastic covers and dump it during night at places they wish.
“If these people handover the garbage responsibly to BBMP autos which go door-to-door to collect garbage in the morning, the city will be free from black spots. Instead of storing garbage and heading out in the night and dumping, citizens should be responsible and hand over it to BBMP. Public should join hands with BBMP to make the city clean,” she added and said that people continued to dump waste, even after BBMP marshals fined them for dumping garbage.