The city is in a bigger garbage mess after Bengalureans celebrated Diwali on Monday and Tuesday.
Though BBMP commissioner Rajneesh Goel had revealed that there would be an increase of at least 30 per cent in the amount of garbage generated in the city and that the palike would deploy additional staff and lorries to clear the garbage, there has been no sign of it.
Paper wrappers, cardboard covers and burnt firecrackers lay on the road unattended. Even in posh areas of Indiranagar, HRBR Layout and Magrath Road, the streets were strewn with the leftovers of Diwali celebrations.
In many places, the garbage was being set afire, by some miscreants, or residents or palike pourakarmikas themselves, without realising its impact on the environment. Mr J. Jacob, a resident of Indiranagar, said that garbage has not been cleared for the last one week, attracting stray dogs and rodents. “I have been calling the BBMP control room repeatedly, but the garbage is yet to be cleared,” he said.
Footpaths and the streets on Avenue Road, KR Market, Malleswaram and RT Nagar market area are littered with garbage, leaving no space for vehicles and pedestrians to move around.
Amar Narayan, a resident of Sadashivanagar, slammed the BBMP for not carrying out one of its basic duties. “The Palike says it has spent Rs 450 crore to clear garbage, but the city continues to suffer under piles of garbage.
It should have anticipated the increase in the amount of garbage generated
during Diwali and taken steps to clear it.
Even during Ayudha Puja and Bakrid the BBMP failed in cleaning up,” he said. BBMP sources said that around 3,800 tonnes of garbage have been cleared in 410 trucks and have been dumped in various landfills.
“The palike has deployed additional staff and trucks to clear the extra garbage. But in some areas, it has yet to be cleared because of unavailability of pourakarmikas,” they said.