Post Ayudha Puja, heaps of garbage lie uncleared in city

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is faced with an onerous task of clearing mounds of garbage generated in the city on Ayudha Puja and Vijayadashami.

The Palike workers have not lifted garbage since Friday as tonnes of solid waste is lying unattended at the markets at KR Market, Malleswaram, Yeshwantpur, Gandhi Bazaar, Basavanagudi, Jayanagar, Yelahanka, Ganganagar, Vijayanagar and Basaveshwaranagar among others.

Festival remains like plantain leaves and stems, pumpkins, flower and fruits have started rotting and the showers have only made the matters worse. The stench of rotting greens and fruits has made life miserable at several areas in the city.

Garbage heaps can be spotted at the corners of several residential and commercial areas. The footpaths in Malleswaram have turned into dumping yards.

Piles of garbage generated on Ayudha Puja lie unattended on footpaths and roads in Malleswaram. Vendors have left behind the unsold plantain leaves and stem and other greens. We are not able to walk on footpaths, says Sangeetha Shetty, a resident of Malleswaram.

The story of Kurubarahalli is no different. Kamala, a resident, says, “Pourakarmikas have not come to lift solid waste in the area for the last two days. Even door-to-door garbage collection is not done. People are dumping festival leftovers on vacant sites.”

Nagesh H V, a resident of Maheswari Nagar near T Dasarahalli, said, “Most of the pourakarmikas are on leave and with October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) being a public holiday, it is unlikely that the civic workers will lift the garbage.”

Meanwhile, BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad, said,  “We have not given leave to pourakarmikas during the festival season. In many areas, they worked on Ayudha Puja and Vijayadashami. Garbage has been lifted from several markets and in a day or two remaining places will be free of garbage.”

However, a BBMP official, on condition of anonymity, told DH, “It requires, at least, 15 to 20 days to rid the city of garbage. 4,200 tonnes of garbage is generated in the city daily. And during festivals, an additional 1,000 tonnes of solid waste generated during festival seasons.”
Mayor directs officials

City Mayor Sampath Raj visited a few areas around Gandhi Bazaar on Sunday morning and directed the officials to clear the garbage soon.