By Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem, MD
It is certainly a matter of pride that Mysuru has secured a distinction this year as the third cleanest city in the country, in its category. There is no reason why we should not be able to once again get to the first place, which we have held earlier on two occasions, if we all put in a little more effort.
But striving to secure the first place in a competition for cleanliness alone, does not make our lives better. There are other problems that need to be addressed to ensure this.
Our city seems to be on the verge of losing all its tranquillity to the malignantly growing menace of roadside eateries. The problem which started with some very ordinary people, badly in need of some means of sustenance, resorting to putting up eateries on pushcarts on our footpaths, here and there, in non-residential areas. While we citizens and our Civic Authorities too, turned a blind eye to these, with hearts of kindness and compassion, the problem has now certainly begun to make our lives very miserable.
Now, obviously encouraged by the inaction of our Civic Authorities, even those with enough and more means to procure the necessary business spaces, have resorted to the so-called fast-food business, much of which thrives only on the pavement. This problem which was hitherto present only in some open areas, is now steadily growing unchecked across the entire length and breadth of the city, not only in the business areas but also in once calm residential areas.
This menace has made life very difficult and dangerous too for honest, tax-paying citizens who cannot lead their lives with the basic ease for which they are paying dearly. Stray dogs are attracted to the spots by the abundant leftovers and they chase and threaten passersby. The strong smells of every kind of food being prepared and served, pervade the surrounding homes, upsetting the sensibilities of those living in them. The pain and distress of being subjected to these smells, day in and day out, are not difficult to imagine.
At the end of the day most of these establishments just dump all the paper and plastic plates and cups on the roadside and leave the place. Very recently, a man even lost his life in an accident because the road was badly encroached by hawkers. Although this incident made a very brief hue and cry, with the authorities announcing that suitable remedial measures would be taken, nothing came out of it.
Mysuru, a once beautiful and very orderly city, has completely lost these two attributes and has now become a complete mess. It is sad that despite constant complaining, no one in the administration pays any heed to implementing some strict and continued measures to set right this problem. All the steps taken to clear our footpaths of the numerous kinds of roadside eateries that we find on them, are only very transient with their results not even lasting for a week.
The illegal occupants are back in their usual places, plying their usual trades, leaving completely helpless citizens wringing their hands in despair. The unbridled growth of roadside eateries is not just an eyesore but a real hindrance to an orderly life. It is common to see these footpath establishments setting up large circles of stools around them for their customers, which extend even onto the road, impeding the smooth flow of traffic, leading to frustrating traffic snarls and frayed tempers.
When you, as a completely blocked vehicle user, stop and expect them to make way for you, most of them glare at you in irritation and indignation, while the occasional politer one just smiles with grotesquely puffed cheeks, expressing complete helplessness in balancing the many paani puris on the plate with one hand, while the other one delicately holds the one ready for the mouth, which is still too full to accommodate it!
Yes, it is certainly not an easy job to balance four round-bottomed, fluid-filled puris, perched on a smooth plate, with one hand and hold one more in the other very lightly, without crushing it, while you are still crushing the one in your mouth, with your eyes closed in sheer ecstasy! The result is that you can only hide your agony and smile back at them and wait patiently, till their hands are free to shift their seats!
It is indeed very sad that none of the authorities successively posted in and who have all seen how citizens are suffering, have been able to come up with a long-lasting remedy for this vexing problem of roadside eateries making life an agony. We need to have strictly designated areas for this kind of business well drawn away from residential areas for which residents should raise their voices.
The other problem that is making life miserable in Mysuru is the pernicious practice of people dumping their garbage on the roadside at every nook and corner. It is difficult to understand why some people, including the so called educated and elite, resort to this shameful practice, when there is an excellent system of solid waste collection, right from our doorsteps, every day. It should be a matter of pride for us that not a single day passes without the garbage pickup vehicle and staff visiting our areas and stopping right in front of our gates to do their duty. But we do not seem to have any regard or respect to the diligence with which they are doing their job.
Our City Corporation and Traffic Police would do well to introduce a system by which citizens should be able to send them pictures of such violations and then start taking prompt punitive action against those indulging in them. This needs to be done with the required amount of seriousness and with complete secrecy too, that will ensure the safety of the complainants. Heavy fines should be levied mercilessly, on the perpetrators, that will act as effective deterrents. That is the only way to set things right!
e-mail: kjnmysore@rediffmail.com
This post was published on August 3, 2025 4:45 pm