VISAKHAPATNAM: The City of Destiny is in danger of turning into a dump yard what with the GVMC sanitary staff and other employees going on strike. The situation now is such that even a walk down along the otherwise beautiful roads is becoming a nightmare due to the piles of garbage and accompanying stench. The condition of rythu bazaars, wholesale markets and meat shop premises and restaurants is obnoxious.
The residents of apartments and colonies are in a dilemma on where to dump household waste as GVMC bins are already overflowing. Locals are being forced to dump the waste near isolated places and in drains, which is in turn attracting stray dogs and pigs. Moreover, drains and canals are also clogged in the absence of sanitary staff.
“It’s just the third day of the strike and the garbage bins are already overflowing and we don’t have any alternative. People, out of ignorance, are dumping the waste at the back of their houses, leading to mosquito problem,” said A Kamakshi, a homemaker from Isukathota area of the city.
A casual walk down a few roads is proving to be a challenge as piles of filth are emanating bad odour. One Town, Dabagardens, Suryabagh and Maddilapalem are completely in the grip of mosquitoes, while a major part of the old city, being a market area, is generating a lot of garbage, followed by One Town area, Dabagardens, Appughar, Allipuram, some parts of MVP zone and Gajuwaka. GVMC sources said that tender coconut shells, food waste from hotels and restaurants and household waste constitute major dumping material.
Meanwhile, the sanitary condition at rythu bazaars is terrible, with shopkeepers dumping vegetable wastes on the premises itself. Restaurant and hotel premises are faring even worse.
Around 5,300 sanitation employees and workers from other departments have been on strike, which is being supported by Left parties. As per GVMC reports, around 700 metric tonnes of waste is being generated daily in the city. The city roads would be littered with 2,100 metric tonnes of waste by Monday morning.
GVMC commissioner J Pravin Kumar said that they are holding discussions with the Unions and other departments and a solution may be arrived at by Monday evening and the dump bins will be cleared in two days. The commissioner also appealed to the public to cooperate and minimise household waste for the next few days.