The Hindu : MCH fears a `stinking' mess

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 22, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

MCH fears a `stinking' mess

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, FEB. 21. The clean and green image of the city is all set to take a beating with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) pulling no stops to make the `Vijayabheri' - rally and public meeting, a stupendous and mammoth affair with lakhs of people expected from different corners here on Sunday.

Even if half the expected 30-lakh people are to take part, the number is staggering and is sure to put to test the civic infrastructure of the twin cities.

Apprehensions are already being raised on the kind of amenities that could be made available for such a gathering. The civic administration is worried stiff over the garbage that is going to generate.

Officials do not hide their concern on the lack of public toilet facilities to cater to lakhs of people who will start trooping into the city from afternoon onwards. Imagining the kind of muck generated due to the lakhs of people relieving themselves or even spitting pan along the rally route is enough to send the shivers down their spine. "The facilities available hardly match the demand, which will result in the rallyists leaving roadsides in a mess," an official admits.

Apart from the venue of Gymkhana Grounds, all the major thoroughfares are expected to be littered. "Apart from flags, paper waste, fruit pulp waste, placards and associated litter, we on an average expect 150 gm of garbage to be generated by each person coming for the meeting," an MCH official says.

While the MCH is planning to press into service additional labour and vehicles to sweep the roads after the meeting, there apparently are no adequate measures in place to segregate it before despatching the same to the dump yard. Asked about the huge non-biodegradable plastic waste such as plastic buntings, the official was candid in stating that, "segregation will not be possible and all the garbage will be sent to the dump yard."

However, the corporation hopes to restore cleanliness on the major thoroughfares by Monday morning and all the other roads by afternoon.

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