Smart City chokes as garbage piles on roads

Visakhapatnam: Even though the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) had provided the citizens with dumper bins in every nook and corner of the city and implemented door-to-door waste collection, garbage strewing on streets has become a common sight in the city. Due to delay in garbage collection in some areas and callous attitude of some people in dumping the garbage, streets in I Town, Gnanapuram, Relliveedhi, Peda Jalaripeta, Maddilapalem, Scindia New Colony, Malkapuram, Dondaparthy and Old Gajuwaka are seen littered with garbage more often than not.

According to statistics, Visakhapatnam generates about 1,100-1,200 metric tonne of waste a day, which is spread in about 533 sq km and consists of 72 wards. In some areas, particularly in the hill slopes, the delay in door-to-door garbage collection is prompting them to dump the garbage on the streets. The ambitious ‘dustbin-free model wards’ programme implemented in 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 had also not met fruition. K. Murali Mohan, a resident of Sagarnagar, opined that it is high time to replace dumper bins by providing all the residents with lightweight cans to keep the garbage in their homes.

“Garbage pickup vehicles can be arranged ward-wise to approach the residents at a fixed time on every alternative day. Our city will become garbage-free and appear more beautiful after removing the garbage containers on the roadside,” Mr. Murali Mohan added. When contacted, a GVMC official informed that by identifying 350 houses as a unit, deploying more men and machinery, and appointing a nodal officer for every ward, they are going to fortify the door-to-door garbage collection, sweeping, waste transportation and drainage clearance works. “We had recently arranged additional dumper bins in the city and are going to get more,” he added.