Urban News

The Hindu 21.07.2009

Garbage piles up in Thrissur

Staff Reporter

PHOTO: K. K. Najeeb

IMPENDING DISASTER: Huge mounds of garbage remaining uncleared at the Sakthan Thamburan Market in Thrissur on Monday. —

Thrisur: Mounds of garbage piled up in every street corner have turned the city into a huge garbage dump leaving a stench at every place.

Residents of Lalur, the Corporation’s waste disposal site, blocked dumping of waste at the dumpyard demanding measures to pump out waste water from the trenching ground and nearby areas.

Waste water seeping from the flooded trenching ground had made life miserable for 40 families living in the area.

Their protest had a catastrophic effect on city life. Sanitation workers have not collected waste in the past six days in the Corporation area. Stray dogs and cattle feasting on heaps of garbage is a common sight even in posh localities. Scenes at Shakthan Thampuran Market are the same.

Opposition Leader in Thrissur Corporation I. P. Paul said the city was sitting on a time bomb.

“It is ticking fast. Outbreak of epidemics is feared. The public is already struggling to cope with diseases such as chikungunya, dengue and jaundice. Garbage piles are breeding grounds for disease-spreading vectors,” he said.

An all-party meeting convened on Monday to discuss the garbage disposal problem urged the Corporation to take swift action to solve the problems of Lalur residents.

“The problems faced by residents of Lalur should not be seen as a local issue. It should be addressed as a problem of the entire city. The Corporation should find a pragmatic solution,” the meeting said.

The meeting also suggested decentralisation of waste treatment. Instead of dumping the entire city waste at Lalur, arrangements should be made to treat it locally, the meeting noted.

Biogas plants should be erected at major market places and waste management systems should be made compulsory for flats and commercial establishments, the speakers demanded.

Deputy Mayor M. Vijayan said that steps had already been taken to pump out flood water from the trenching ground. Leaders of various political parties participated in the meeting.

Meanwhile, T. K. Vasu, chairman of the Lalur Malineekarana Virudha Samara Samithy said they would not give up their struggle until the Corporation found a lasting solution to the problem.

The Hindu 21.07.2009

Twin cities to become cleaner

Staff Correspondent

For cleaner surroundings: Hubli-Dharwad Mayor Viranna Savadi (left) and other councillors walking through Gandhiwad locality in Hubli on Monday after the launch of the special cleanliness drive.

Hubli: The Mayor of Hubli Dharwad, Viranna Savadi, launched the special cleanliness drive in the twin cities on Monday in the wake of increase in the number of cases of chikungunya and dengue.

The Mayor formally launched the drive first at Gandhiwad off Gadag Road and then at Bankapur Chowk. Apart from senior officials of the Health Department, councillors of various parties including Deepak Chinchore, Altaf Kittur, Rajanna Koravi and others were present on the occasion.

It might be recalled that after an elaborate discussion on the lack of cleanliness in the twin cities during a special general body meeting, Mr. Savadi had announced that a special cleanliness drive would be taken up in all the wards.

He had said that there were as many as 115 personnel in the Health Department in each of the 12 zones in the corporation and all of them would be deployed for the special cleanliness drive in each ward for three to four days.

Accordingly on Monday the staff of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) was divided into various batches and they took up cleaning in various localities .

On Monday, special cleanliness drive was carried out in Gardenpet, Desai Oni, Dora Galli, Mochi Galli, Cholinavar Oni, Shikkalagara Tanda, Walwekar Hakkala, Siddanapet and adjoining localities. Apart from clearing the drains and sweeping roads, fogging was extensively done to check the menace of mosquitoes. Pesticides were also sprayed at localities where it was found necessary.

Officials of the zone no. 11 of the corporation said that the cleanliness drive would be completed in all the wards of the zone by August 1.