Time for a rubble rouse

Bengaluru has always been known as the Garden City. With lush parks and greenery around, city folk took pride in its tryst with nature. But off late, with increasing urbanisation, it’s Silicon valley status and its increasing population, there’s more garbage than garden about this once lazy cantonment. The Union Ministry recently chalked out a list of the cleanest cities in India. Bengaluru, with all its buzz, did not even feature on it. In a survey conducted by the Swacch Survekshan 2018, in over 4,041 Indian cities, Bengaluru has clearly missed the “clean” boat. Indore has been named the cleanest city with Bhopal being ranked as India’s second cleanest city for two years in a row, and Chandigarh was ranked as the third cleanest city, moving up from Rank 11 in 2017. 

As is fast becoming evident, problems caused by humans can only be solved by humans. 

City-based student Syeda Hadiya says, “I think one of the main reasons why our Garden City did not make it to the list is because of the population. An impact can be made only if these humans learn from their mistakes. At the end of the day, it’s our responsibility to correct our wrong doings. I feel that people need to know the facts and figures that have made the city like this. Only then people will notice that something is wrong. An awareness needs to be created so some response can be got. People can start by doing something as small as planting. I think events need to be organised where experts talk about the true state of environmental affairs in the city.”

Rather than waiting for the other person, individuals should first take the intitiative, believe a few, Software engineer Sai Charan Singh says, “I have been living in Bengaluru for the past five year, the maintenance that is done around the city is pretty bad. I feel this is one reason why the city didn’t make it to the list. The first initiative should be from our side. 

In foreign countries, people are fined if they are found littering in public places. This is one rule which I think should be initiated in the city as well.”

Nowadays, it has become a habit for people to litter. People dont think twice before doing it. Abhijit Gaurav says, “Although the city has places that are full of greenery, places that are polluted are more in number. People have the natural tendency to litter. A lot of people migrate to Bengaluru as it is deemed as an IT hub. People need to make the city their own and care for it. People need to be active in trying to get the status of garden city back.”

Sociologist Sowrabha C says, “Waste management has failed completely. People have no civic consciousness of waste segregation. Even the BBMP is not doing anything about it. Expect for a few wards with keen citizens and NGO’s, things are not getting better. I think it’s high time that people rigorously start and continue to work for the benefit of environment. This should happen in both the micro and macro level. Things have failed in both senses and therefore we are now forced to call ourselves as garbage city.” 

Cleanest State Capital: Greater Mumbai
Best city in Innovation and Best practices: Nagpur
Best city in Solid Waste Management: Navi Mumbai
India’s Cleanest City Zone-Wise North: Bhalso, Punjab
East: Bundu, Jharkhand
North-East: Kakching, Manipur
South: Siddipet, Telangana
West: Panchgani, Maharashtra