Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru may have clinched third place in the Super Swachh League under Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 in the 3–10 lakh population category, but residents say the reality on the ground paints a very different picture.

While the city basks in the glory of being listed among India’s cleanest, local residents are questioning the Mysuru City Corporation’s (MCC) commitment to waste management.

Their grievance: MCC’s own garbage collection staff are dumping trash on roadsides, vacant plots, and areas already choked with construction and demolition (C&D) debris.

“If MCC workers themselves flout basic waste disposal norms, what is the point of collecting wet and dry waste separately from our homes?” residents asked.

Parashuram, a resident of Kanakadasanagar, said, “For months, I’ve seen MCC garbage vans throwing dry waste by the roadside. Are they clearing garbage or just shifting it elsewhere? When we question them, they claim they’re only responsible for wet waste and someone else will pick up the dry waste — which never happens.”

Kanakadasanagar residents pointed to mounds of dry waste dumped near apartment complexes, vacant sites and even outside Sukrutha PU College. “What kind of example are these workers setting for students by dumping garbage near their college?” another resident asked.

Many allege that even when wet and dry waste are collected separately, the segregation ends there — both are dumped together in the same collection vehicle and carted off to waste treatment plants. “What guarantee is there that segregation happens at the plants?” residents asked.

Civic activists say the city’s slide from its once top-ranked cleanliness status is evident on the ground — uncleared garbage, C&D waste and encroachments mar footpaths and open spaces across the city, including key tourist areas.

They have called on MCC’s health and sanitation wings to tighten monitoring, enforce accountability and involve tourism and hospitality stakeholders to maintain the city’s image.

“The Super Swachh League ranking may look good on paper,” an activist remarked, “but before MCC starts celebrating, it should take a hard look at what’s happening on the streets.”