Mangalore: Unscrupulous Dumping of Trash Worries St Antony Home for the Poor

Naveen Menezes
Pics: Spoorthy Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (NM)

Mangalore, Jun 22: The heap of trash dumped near St Antony's Home for the Poor, near Nandigudda Circle here, is causing inconvenience to residents in the surrounding areas.

Convienient empty space near the ashram makes this area an easy dump yard of construction material, used tyres, plastic items etc.

Currently, this mountain of waste is causing trouble to the residents. It is alleged that the corporation started dumping garbage and eventually the public also started throwing in trash, especially in the nights.

"We have caught many people red-handed throwing the trash, and warned them not to repeat it. We have also stopped corporation vehicles from dumping the garbage," said Jecintha, corporator. "Every year, I bring in a JCB and clean that area, but people continue dumping there," she added.

However, speaking to Daijiworld, Harish Kumar, commissioner MCC countered the statement, saying that the city corporation is not involved in any kind of dumping. "We have assigned the drivers to take the waste and debris to the Vamanjoor dumping yard.In order to escape from questions of people, the authorities blame MCC," he added.

In addition, he said that the unabated mounting of garbage in the city has become their major concern. "We have been putting efforts to stop dumping of waste on the roadside. We have spent a lot of money to clean the area, however some people still choose to dump, escaping the notice of residents. If it comes to our notice, we will take stringent action against the people," he informed.

Speaking to daijiworld, Fr Denis Moras Prabhu, vicar general and director of St Antony Home for the Poor, said that due to the concreting of the roads, there has been a steep rise in the level of road. Hence, the mud has fallen over the compound wall, and as a result the wall has collapsed.

During the monsoons, the inmates face a lot of problem as the rain water gets into the ashram. The stagnant water has become a habitat for breeding mosquitoes, causing epidemic diseases and foul smell disturbing the people who pass by. There are as many as 400 inmates, most of them mentally ill, therefore we require cleanliness in and around the area, he said.

"A minimum budget of Rs 4 lac is required to raise the wall, an amount which we would gladly spend on the welfare of the inmates instead," said Fr Denis Moras, adding, "We have raised the issue with the corporators and the MCC and have also submitted a written complaint to the DC which has yielded no fruit. The corporation did not apply their intelligence and goodwill during the widening of roads."