The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP’s) state of paralysis concerning garbage has tainted even the legacy of one of Kannada’s greatest writers.
What greets the visitor to the house of Jnanpith awardee Masti Venkatesa Iyengar’s house is a mound of garbage.
The 95-year-old house is now a museum, maintained by the Masti Venkatesa Iyengar Jeevana Karyalaya Trust run by the litterateur’s granddaughter V. Vasantasree.
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The footpath in front of the house is also blocked with large stones dumped on it. Ironically, a BBMP signboard just outside harangues the public on keeping the city clean. Mavinkere Ranganath of the Masti Prashati Samiti expressed his disgust thus: “This is indeed unpardonable. The civic authority must immediately take measures to clear the garbage and ensure that the area is well maintained.” When contacted, BBMP’s South Zone Joint Commissioner Trilok Chandra said the area was a “designated garbage collection point” and that after the garbage is collected, the area is cleaned. “Garbage is collected between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Some residents may be dumping garbage even after the area has been cleared. This may be giving citizens the impression that the garbage is not cleared.” He promised to look into the issue and check if the collection point could be shifted.