Garbage dumps at almost every nook and corner
How does Hyderabad justify the title of ‘Best self-sustaining city’ and the Swachh Survekshan award that it has been conferred with, when one can find heaps of garbage dumped on the roadside in almost every locality?
Residents point an accusing finger at the apathy of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials, who in their quest to make Hyderabad a bin-free city, are ignoring piles of trash being thrown in every corner of the road. The civic body officials point out that swachh auto tippers pick up garbage in every colony. However, photos shared on Twitter reveal the more sordid side of the claim.
A GHMC official said “A swachh auto is allotted for an area. They collect trash of households, and apartment complexes, besides what is thrown on the roads.” However, many residents have said that they only see GHMC autos on the roads and not near their houses. On their part, slum-dwellers, who are assigned to collect trash in autos provided by GHMC, make money by separating plastic from the trash and selling it. G. Shanti, who collects trash along with her husband near Sikh Village, said that they collect trash at their own sweet time, either before 5 am or even after 12 pm.
Aarti Singh, a resident of Mudfort, said that she is not even aware of when the autos come as they maintain erratic times.
Arvind Khanna from Bowenpally said that since the time garbage bins were removed, trash is getting accumulated in his colony.
“We have hired a person who collects trash in our neighbourhood every morning. We have never seen or heard of GHMC swachh autos in our colony,” he said. People have been frequently posting pictures of heaps of garbage on street corners, flowing sewages and open drains.
Many raised concern for animals, which consume food from the trash, including large quantities of plastic. Drainages are getting choked because of plastic, read many tweets.
Meanwhile, doctors have cautioned of a rise in dengue and jaundice cases due to excessive garbage, which is the breeding ground for mosquitoes and other disease-bearing insects.
According to paediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh “There are already many cases of diarrhoea, dengue, jaundice, typhoid, vomiting coming in, particularly among children, whose immunity levels are considerably low. Mosquitoes, flies and cockroaches carry the infection, majorly from trash, garbage and stagnant water.”