The Hindu  29.09.2010

Corporator goes on garbage collection spree

Staff Reporter

Cleanliness drive:Corporator G. Jayashree collecting garbage from houses in a tri-cycle in Karimnagar on Tuesday.

KARIMNAGAR: Karimnagar, when still a municipality, had attained distinction in the State when it won the clean city award for its prompt and proper disposal and segregation of garbage from the residential areas, business establishments, hospitals, hotels etc.

After its upgrade into a corporation, it is the other way round. The garbage dumped in the dust bins are piling up on the roads and people are worried about the spread of diseases.

In vain

Local municipal corporators have been informing the authorities to deploy sanitation labourers for the removal of garbage, but in vain. In the busy Mankammathota locality, when the ruling party corporator Guggilla Jayashree informed the authorities, they were reluctant to take action. Irked over this, she bought a tricycle and collected garbage from the residential areas on her own with the support of her husband Guggilla Srinivas and others. Ms. Jayashree told The Hindu that since the last 15 days sanitation workers were not visiting the divisions for collection of garbage. The municipal authorities say that they have 646 sanitation labourers. On the contrary, such a huge number of sanitation workers are available only on paper, she alleged.

She charged that the authorities, in collusion with contractors, were using only minimum number of sanitation workers on shift basis in each municipal division and swindling the funds. Demanding that the municipal authorities take necessary action for removal of garbage from all the divisions, she threatened to launch an agitation with the public in front of the corporation.

The Times of India        29.09.2010

Bandra-Khar residents and BMC team up to swat mosquito menace

Bandra and Khar residents' associations have joined hands with BMC to control the menace of dengue and malaria by carrying out inspection of building premises and conducting random checks of flats in suburbs.

Launching the drive, additional municipal commissioner Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar said, "Although malaria cases have reduced considerably, we are not letting our guard down. Initiative on the behalf of citizens does make a huge difference to our efforts as residents are under the impression that breeding sites are far away and not in our premises." Mhaiskar said that phases I and II of BMC's anti-malaria drive focused on slums and under- construction sites. "In Phase III, building premises will be covered, for which cooperation of residents is essential.''

The pest control drive was kicked off at a meeting organised by Union Park Residents' Association (UPRA) and Senior Citizens' Advanced Locality Management Association (SALMA) at YMCA. The drive will cover constiuencies of all the corporators falling under the H-West ward.

Bharati Kakkad, secretary, UPRA, said, "Accompanied by BMC officials, we will carry out inspection of overhead tanks to ascertain whether they are mosquito-proof and find out if they are a potential breeding site. Moreover, random checks of flats will be carried out as sometimes even flower pots can be a source of mosquitoes causing malaria or dengue."

This apart, the UPRA has also carried out intensive awareness on their community radio station. It has already distributed pamphlets on do's and don'ts . Kavita Rodricks, local corporator, said, "This is not sting operation, but an effort to spread awareness."