BENGALURU: Just months after a major clean-up drive turned a 200-metre garbage black spot in Chikka Gowdanapalya into a clean and green stretch, residents have once again begun dumping waste at the site. The makeover included painting walls, installing a green net to prevent dumping, and drawing rangoli to discourage littering, but it lasted just a few months.
Residents point out that irregular garbage collection forces them to throw waste by the roadside.
In March, over 100 volunteers from Youth for Parivarthan, with support from Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), cleaned up a heavily littered stretch near the Ganesha temple in Gowdanapalya, located between Kumaraswamy Layout and Padmanabhanagar.
The cleanup was appreciated by many residents as it eliminated the foul smell and garbage lying near the road. However, the effect lasted only for about a month, before people slowly started dumping garbage again.
Manjunatha, who runs a bag store near the Ganesha temple, said residents alerted BBMP multiple times, requesting strict action against illegal dumping. “A few months ago, some youths painted the walls, but after a month, people started dumping garbage again at night.
For a few days, a BBMP marshal was posted at the spot, but soon disappeared,” he said. He also suggested that officials put up cautionary posters, warning of fines for illegal dumping. He added that people are forced to dump garbage because the garbage collection van comes only on alternate days. A factory owner has installed CCTV cameras but people are not afraid.
Another resident, Murthy, said Chikka Gowdanapalya is a congested area with narrow roads. “On this 200-metre stretch, only four roads connect to this stretch, but people from nearby areas come at night on scooters and throw their waste here,” he said.
Murthy added that the garbage van sometimes collects on alternate days and sometimes regularly. “Residents are unable to store wet waste at home because of mosquito and rat problems, which forces them to dispose of it by the roadside.
Sometimes, the van comes as early as 6am, and many people miss it. If the van comes regularly, people will stop throwing garbage here,” he said. He also claimed that most of the waste is dumped by bachelors and students living in rented accommodations nearby.
A BSWML official said that despite awareness campaigns and a makeover, residents continue to dump waste. “The van is operating on schedule, but people still throw garbage irresponsibly,” the official said.