Cluttering up the pavements

Indifferent Attitude

Bangalore is known to be pedestrian unfriendly and compounding this problem are the City’s vendors, who don’t think twice about littering the pavements. Metrolife speaks to a few Bangaloreans about this issue.

Most citizens admit that the vendors are contributing to the garbage problem in the City, flinging waste like bits of fruit, tender coconut or other items onto the pavement.
Harish K Manjunath, a facility manager, opines, “There are so many vendors on the pavements and they rarely bother to clean up their trash. They mostly set up shop at signals or crowded intersections, where business would be at the maximum.”
Harish adds, “Leftover food creates an odour which adds to the problem. Besides, the chance of slipping on a fruit peel is also high on such pavements.”

Another problem is that uncleared garbage tends to attract stray dogs. Karn Agarwal, a professional, says, “The hawkers have their own excuses. But what they do not realise is that generating food waste and then not getting rid of it properly creates problems for pedestrians. Food waste attracts stray dogs, which is alarming for those walking on the pavements.”

The vendors have their own excuses to share. But some people vouch that they have met vendors who take the extra effort to keep their surroundings clean and pedestrian-friendly. Ramya A, a professional, says, “There are vendors who are also very careful and do what they can to keep their surroundings clean. I’ve seen vendors and their kids in HRBR Layout and Kalyan Nagar, who make it a point to pick up any waste.”

Ramya also recollects that she has asked other vendors about the waste around them and heard different excuses. She details, “Once I was at Jalavayu Vihar and I was talking to a vendor about the coconut husk powder around him. He replied that he didn’t have the time to clean that up and that ‘the cleaners’ would take care of it.”

The authorities are aware of this issue and are working towards eliminating it. K R Niranjan, special commissioner of the BBMP, says, “This is a common phenomenon in the City. We are doing routine drives and keeping a check on most areas. Stricter laws have to be implemented and fines levied. We have proposed this change to be included in the laws pertaining to littering the City, and a strict fine on such vendors should terminate the issue.”