A hub of this hill station, the most popular venue for public meetings — particularly political conventions — a health hazard and one of the most dirtiest, congested and crowded parts of The Nilgiris district — the ATC bus stand on Monday played host to an event organised under the aegis of the Public Awareness Association of Udhagamandalam to mark the observance of World Health Day.
RepresentationsWith numerous representations over the last several years to the civic and district authorities to improve the area, falling on deaf ears and matters being made worse by the encouragement of encroachments in blatant disregard of the law, the association chose the spot to highlight the threat posed by it to the health of the people.
Displaying a banner which stated, ‘Diseases are free here,’ the president of the association G. Janardhanan told The Hindu that representatives of the people are oblivious to the deplorable standards of sanitation and hygiene in the town in general and the ATC bus stand in particular.
The president, Centre for Consumer, Human Resource, and Environment Protection S. Sivasubramaniam regretted that the taxes being paid by the people are not being used for their welfare.
Drivers of jeep taxies who park their vehicles in a corner of the area said that on several occasions they have taken up the civic problems at the ATC bus stand with the officials concerned, and elected representatives too but nothing tangible has been done so far to improve the pitiable conditions.
