By Bhamy V. Shenoy
This is a garbage bin in one of the most prestigious areas of Mysuru, Yadavagiri in the dhobi ghat. If we see this type of garbage in poorer neighbourhoods, one may offer a ready excuse. When people have to worry about their next meal they cannot afford the luxury of worrying about the cleanliness.
But it is not so in Yadavagiri. Just about every other house has some one who is living abroad or they themselves have gone to visit foreign countries. Thus they are familiar with the need to keep the city clean. They must have wondered why we cannot keep our cities clean in India. In addition, because of Modi’s Swachh Bharat drive and Mysuru city working hard to get back the ‘Cleanest City’ tag, all the residents must have realised their responsibility to keep the area clean. Why have they abdicated their responsibilities even after seeing dirty scene like the one in the above photo.
We cannot blame the city administration for scenes like this. MCC regularly clears the garbage but citizens have failed to take up their social responsibility. They may claim that they are not responsible for their house maids dropping the garbage outside the bin. Are they justified?
There was a similar scene in Vontikoppal few months back. Soon after SOM published a photo of the dirty overflowing garbage bin, MCC removed the bin. In its place, nearby residents have placed two benches costing around Rs.8,000. Now it is clean and no garbage can be spotted around.
Picture above shows the sorry state of garbage piled by the side of the road connecting Bogadi Road to Sharadadevi Nagar via Amrita Vidyalaya near Havika Bhavan. SOM reader C.K. Aiyanna, who e-mailed this picture, has urged the authorities concerned to take suitable action and clear the mess. Picture right shows precious water oozing out since a fortnight from below the tar road a little distance away from Hemavathi Apartment on Temple Road, opposite High Spirits shop, Jayalakshmipuram. This water wastage occurs particularly during pumping hours and flows down the slope. Will the Vani Vilas Water Works (VVWW) staff wake up and plug the leakage? asks another concerned reader.
I am not suggesting that the bin should be removed in Yadavagiri. But Yadavagiri residents should take the responsibility of keeping the area around garbage bin clean. There is a need for such garbage bins. Otherwise people will have an excuse to throw garbage on any road side. Even when bins are provided they do it and if there is no bin, then they will try to justify such socially unfriendly act.
MCC should try to find out the household who has thrown the bath tub near the garbage bin and impose a heavy fine. Residents should call the MCC staff in charge of garbage and make arrangements to get items like broken bath tubs or commodes collected and not dump irresponsibly on the road side.
May I appeal to Yadavagiri residents and also to residents of other areas where such dirty garbage bins are located in the city to ensure garbage is put only inside the bin and the surrounding area is kept clean. We should realise that keeping the city clean is the responsibility of all residents and not just of MCC.
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