TICKLISH ISSUE: People protesting against garbage dumping in Vura tank in Ongole on Sunday. — Photo: Kommuri Srinivas

ONGOLE : Angry residents on Sunday besieged municipal tractors and prevented them from dumping the garbage in Vura tank on the plea that it would endanger their health. They squatted on the road and immobilised 12 tractors and thwarted their attempts to dump the garbage near their habitations.

Municipal Chairman Bapatla Hanumantha Rao tried to pacify the people saying that they would find some alternative place in two or three days but in vain. After an hour-long drama, the residents forced the tractors to retreat and go in search of some `suitable' place.

Ongole municipality has been facing the piquant problem for the last few months as there is no dumping yard in the town. It used to dump the garbage in Vura tank before. But several colonies like Vaddiplaem, Samikyathanagar, Nanduri Prasadnagar etc that came up around the tank protested against it some months ago.

The municipality then shifted the dumping yard to old Guntur road which became redundant after laying of bypass road for Chennai-Kolkata National Highway No 5. But there too, it faced stiff resistance from people living in slums in that area.

Even poor people have become conscious of their surroundings, thanks to campaign launched by the officials against mosquitoes to prevent diseases like malaria, chikungunya, dengue etc. The awareness posed problems to municipal officials themselves now.

The CPI(M) zonal secretary, Viswasen, who led the protest today pointed out that people living around Vura tank faced hardship as the municipality dumped garbage collected from all over the town in their surroundings.

They had to put up with stench on one hand and mosquitoes on the other.

They demanded the municipality to dump the garbage away from habitations and protect their health.

But municipality faced problems in dumping the garbage even in nearby villages like Yerajarla, Karavadi etc where it faced stiff resistance from the people.

It is now planning to acquire 20 acres near Dasarajupalle away from habitations for dumping yard. It should now expedite the acquisition in view of the increasing health consciousness among urban dwellers.

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