Poor sanitation bothers Kurnool residents

 KURNOOL: Lax attitude of municipal staff in ensuring cleanliness in Kurnool city is causing problems for denizens. Garbage piled up at several places in the city is giving it an ugly look. Bad odour is spoiling environs in various colonies.

The city of 6.50 lakh people generates around 250 metric tonnes of garbage per day, most of which can be seen piled in the 51 divisions within the Kurnool Municipal Corporation (KMC) limits.

KMC has approximately 1,200 staff, both permanent and on contract, to keep the city clean. Around 300 tricycles and 1,850 dustbin and 60 transport vehicles are being used to shift waste from the city to the dump yard. There are complaints that sanitation workers are not lifting garbage from all wards, but focusing only on main centres within the city limits.

Delay in shifting garbage makes free flow of water difficult during monsoon. This adds to people’s outcry over clogged drainage lines overflowing onto streets in some colonies of the city. Even the blocked drains are being cleaned only in certain and not all areas, causing difficulties for commuters.

A. Ramakrishna of Vijayanagar Colony in the city said piled up garbage poses serious difficulties for people. The swine roaming in the city carry the garbage and spread it all over. He warns that this could lead to spread of diseases.

SK Rahmatullah of One Town area pointed out that they cannot walk without covering their noses in the C-Camp Circle area.

People living in colonies near Handri and Tungabadhra rivers located in old Kallur, 1 Town, Bapuji Nagar, Osmania College Road, Budhavarpet, Kothapeta, Agriculture Market and King Market areas are among those facing trouble due to poor sanitation.

When contacted, an official from the public health wing of KMC maintained that they are monitoring the situation regularly and ensuring cleanliness in the city. They are also conducting special drives to create awareness among people on segregating dry and wet wastes and properly disposing waste through carts that visit their households daily.