Mysuru: The Dasara Aahara Mela being held at Maharaja’s College Grounds has raised concerns over cleanliness and fire safety, with visitors seen eating amid swirling dust, overflowing garbage bins and foul-smelling stagnant waste water.

Though the Aahara Mela opens at 11 am, waste collection was still underway at 12.30 pm. Garbage bins placed in front of food stalls overflowed, spreading an unpleasant smell across the venue.

As stall owners called out to customers over microphones, dust raised during cleaning settled on the food being served. Visitors, however, continued to enjoy their snacks despite the conditions.

While drinking water arrangements appeared satisfactory, the hand-washing facilities left much to be desired. Waste water was being let into a pit covered with an iron grill to prevent accidents.

The stagnant water, however, gave off a strong odour, making the area unpleasant for visitors. A pipe to carry the waste water outside the Aahara Mela grounds could have helped prevent the problem. Fire safety is another concern.

With around 140 stalls operating at the venue, each reportedly using at least two LPG cylinders, an estimated 280 to 300 cylinders are being used in proximity. The stalls have little or no space between them and no fire brigade unit was stationed at the venue, raising concerns about emergency preparedness.

A cylinder blast in such crowded conditions could put neighbouring stalls and visitors at risk. With thousands of people visiting every day, the lack of adequate fire safety arrangements calls for urgent attention.