Mysuru: The protest by Pourakarmikas working for Mysuru City Corporation entered the third day despite the corporation officials and elected representatives trying their level best to get the mess cleaned in the thoroughfares of the city. However, a lot of garbage is still left unattended in many extensions and a foul smell is emanating. If left unattended, it may pose health hazards to the public. The cleanest city has now literally turned into a garbage city.
Though District In-charge Minister G T Devegowda and Tourism Minister S R Mahesh tried their level best to convince the protesting Pourakarmikas they were in no mood to withdraw protest until and unless some major decision was taken. The Pourakarmikas demanding regularisation of their works have demanded a revision in the ratio of number of people per pourakarmika from 700 to 500 and to provide breakfast to all pourakarmikas which was sanctioned by state government three years back.
Narayan, former mayor and chairperson of Karnataka Safai Karmachari said, “Though both the minister GT Devegowda and SR Mahesh along with Deputy Commissioner Abhiram Shankar visited and spoke to us we were not convinced and decided to continue our indefinite protest. Again we have a meeting with minister and district officials today if we are satisfied with the assurance from them we will call off our protest.”
Public health put into danger: Chidambar, Vector Borne Disease Control Officer, Mysuru district said, “If garbages are not cleared at the earliest there are more scope for communicable diseases which includes air, water and mosquito-borne diseases. If the garbage is not cleared at the extension areas at the earliest, there is more scope for more communicable diseases. Due to stagnation of water and unclear garbages, mosquitoes borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya are possible. Water-borne diseases like typhoid, gastroenteritis, viral encephalitis and Leptospirosis and air-borne diseases like fever and cold are also possible. The rain for the past couple of days added more added more trouble and inconvenience. It is high time that the garbages which are not cleared for the past couple of days are cleared at the earliest or else there are more scope for communicable diseases.”
Garbage littered in few places: To everyone’s surprise, garbage was found littered at a few prominent roads in the city. The public were taken back when they found garbage at Gandhi square, KR circle, Devaraj Urs road and Metropole circle.
Everyday, on an average, 430 tonnes of garbage is collected from across the city by nearly 2500 pourakarmikas which includes 650 permanent workers and more than 1800 working on outsource basis. But for the last three days, that is since the pourakarmikas started the protest, the waste is left unattended. Corporation health officers led by Dr. Nagaraj somehow managed to clear few tonnes of garbage especially in the city thoroughfares but they were not able to focus much on the extensions. In the last three days, nearly 60 to 70 percent of the garbage has been not collected.
Students and hotels staff pitch in to clear garbage
Gopalgowda Nursing students and Hotel Ginger staff members pitched in to clear garbage in some of the places and the NSS students are expected to join the task.
