As the stage is set for the Dasara finale, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has made all arrangements to ensure cleanliness across the city centres, especially on the Jamboo Savari route, by deploying additional teams of civic workers and also setting up mobile toilets from K.R. Circle to Bannimantap.
It has also launched a vehicle to spread awareness among the public on desisting from climbing heritage buildings and big hoardings during the procession in view of their safety. Most of the buildings on Sayyaji Rao Road had turned weak and old.
MCC Health Officer D.G. Nagaraj told The Hindu that 35 mobile toilets will be in place along the procession route. Besides, RO water will be distributed among the public during the procession.
More than 21 vehicles carrying RO water in steel tankers will be stationed and they will be refilled as and when required.
The Department of Health has taken steps to deploy ambulances on the route for handling any emergencies, besides a dedicated medical team for attending to the people.
Dr. Nagaraj said the pourakarmikas have been working in three shifts since the start of Dasara for maintaining cleanliness. Even in the night, they are working to keep the city clean, at most venues of Dasara events, especially the Dasara flower show and the Dasara food festival where the generation of solid waste was high owing to heavy footfall.
After the Dasara finale, the cleaning squad will work through the night to ensure that the city looks tidy after the mega event. “Like we cleared the waste, working till 5 a.m. after the Dasara Open Street Festival at Krishnaraja Bouvlevard, cleaning will be taken up after the finale,” he said.
Dasara gift
Meanwhile, the MCC distributed a trouser and shirt to male pourakarmikas and a sari to female pourakarmikas, besides safety gear to all of them as a Dasara gift.
This year, the Dasara gift has been extended to permanent as well as pourakarmikas working on contract. This benefit has been extended to around 2,500 civic workers, he said.
The pourakarmikas were on strike recently and had also threatened to boycott cleaning work during the festivities if their demands were not met. After over a week of striking work, they called off their indefinite agitation following the intervention of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.
Dr. Nagaraj said: “We distribute safety gear every year but sari and clothes have been given for the first time as a token of appreciation for responding to work during Dasara.”
