Children at the receiving end

Mounds of uncleared garbage and poor sanitation in and around schools pose a threat to the health of children

The sea of garbage all over the City is taking a heavy toll. The death of two students of a prominent school from suspected dengue raises serious issues. Children are becoming vulnerable to diseases, thanks to garbage heaps strewn outside the school campus and the unhygienic conditions inside.

The garbage outside the school is a combination of plastic, dry and wet waste. This  remains uncleared for days together and in the absence of proper bins, people  carelessly throw garbage on the road.

Metrolife went around the City and did a reality check on the measures school managements have taken to combat the garbage menace.

One can see more garbage heaps in the vicinity of prominent schools in the northern and eastern parts of the City. The schools in the southern parts have comparatively cleaner surroundings. Repeated complaints to the BBMP has borne no result.

The Vidya Niketan School in Hebbal has an open drain running on one side and a slum settlement on the other. Hansa Vithani, director of the school says, “This has increased the mosquito menace in the school and we had to take measures such as raising the height of the school compound wall and fumigate the area to prevent mosquitos and possible diseases.”

The Government Urdu Model Primary School in Yarab Nagar, near Banashankari, has a heap of uncleared garbage just beside the school’s compound wall. Nasia, a parent who sends her child to this school says, “The government doesn’t bother and my child is always down with cold and fever. The stench is unbearable but nobody cares.”

The Oasis International School in Kothanur not only has a stone quarry and blasting centre near the school but moulds of garbage, mixed in cement, right in front of the school gate, which is a scary sight.

Azeeza and Ayesha, who belong to the school management, say, “In addition to taking measures to make the campus clean, the dust from the stone quarry is something that we have to deal with all the time. This causes dust allergy. Repeated complaints about garbage has fallen on deaf ears,” says Ayesha who informs that they occasionally get it cleared by themselves.

The St Francis Xaviers Girls’ High School and St John’s High School on St John’s Road in Fraser Town have uncleared garbage in the corner of the road near the school.

Sikshana, a parent, who has a daughter studying in St Francis Xaviers’ Girls High School says, “Whenever I come to pick up my child from school, I see a heap of garbage across the road. We’re unable to cross the road or walk across. It stinks.”

Arul, from the management of St John’s High School says, “We have bought fumigation machines just to contain the mosquito menace because of the garbage outside.”

When the BBMP was questioned about the issue of clearing garbage around the schools, special commissioner for the BBMP K Niranjan says, “Garbage is an issue that we are dealing with and trying to find a solution to. We are clearing garbage in phases and it will take some time,” he sums up.