Nagpur: This stinking aspect could prove a “bad omen” for the Orange City that has made its way into a list to be developed as “Smart City.” The roads in city, it seems, have been abandoned by concerned authorities to fend for themselves from the onslaught of garbage dumping citizens, filth of stray animals etc. Traversing through many of streets is nothing short of a herculean task.
At a time when Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is gearing up to usher the Second Capital City of Nagpur into a “Smart City,” its dream to make the city garbage free will present a complete opposite picture if one visits any part of the city. Blame it on people’s irresponsible attitude or lack of facilities, many roads and open spaces in this part of the city are littered with plastic carry bags containing rotten garbage.
If North Nagpur is to be scanned, for example, for grasping the ground reality, one would certainly witness many roads and open spaces that are littered with garbage and filth presenting an ugly scene and unhygienic conditions. Moreover, people residing in some specific areas complained that stink often prevails in their areas mainly because the public utility ground which usually remains filled with garbage and filthy material as it doesn’t get cleared for weeks by the sanitary staff. Garbage was scattered over footpaths, particularly near the garbage dumping sites, thereby forcing the pedestrians to take the risk of walking on the busy road.
As the garbage keeps on piling, the residents are forced to throw waste in the open. Here, almost every open space has been turned into a dumping yard.
NMC is coughing up crores in the pockets of Kanak Resource Management for lifting garbage and transporting it to dumping yard. But the company does it in haphazard manner leaving the residents livid. Residents raise the issue with the civic body and suggested steps to improve garbage collection system and also to increase the number of sanitary workers and garbage lifting vehicles. However, nothing has been done so far.
It would not an awful surprise if the city is buried under heaps of garbage.
–Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha (rajeev.nagpurtoday@gmail.com)
