Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru city, which was clean and tidy following lockdown, is now facing garbage issues following relaxation of lockdown rules. The garbage generation in the city had dropped following the lockdown to tame the spread of Coronavirus.

Though Mysuru City is still in the Red Zone, the District Administration has partially relaxed the lockdown rules on instruction from the Government. Apart from major commercial establishments, most shops have been permitted to open and conduct business till 7 pm and almost all hotels have begun providing parcel service. Liquor shops too are doing good business and city roads are buzzing with vehicles. All these have resulted in generation of garbage which is strewn on roads.

Most of the shops that were closed for nearly 40 days following lockdown are now being cleaned and the waste is being dumped on roadsides especially plastic waste. Added to this, garbage bins that were installed on roadsides have gone missing and stray animals, in search of food are scattering the garbage on roads. Though pourakarmikas clean in the mornings, more garbage is being dumped on the roadsides which remains there till the next morning. 

It looks like the public, who are maintaining social distancing, wearing face mask and using santiser to prevent the spread of Coronavirus have forgotten to maintain cleanliness which is also very essential in the prevention of the spread of the virus. Even the civic body which is busy imposing fines on those for not wearing face mask, spitting on roads etc., is not bothered about garbage now. 

The MCC Environmental Engineers, who seize tonnes of plastic materials that are banned for usage have not planned to control the source of its generation, which has resulted in such wastes increasing day-by-day.

Among the 91 commercial streets that have been given permission to conduct business, Dhanvantri Road is one of them and when one enters the road, it is plastic garbage that greets them. The public have urged the civic officials to get the garbage cleared and impose penalty on those who are found dumping garbage indiscriminately.