Mysuru was recently adjudged the third cleanest city in the country, after Indore and Ambikapur.
But the city’s outskirts present a different picture, as gram panchayats have been unable to handle efficiently solid waste, resulting in garbage piling up all around and posing a major health risk to people in the area.
The issue came into focus during the recently-concluded Swachh Survekshan survey, though the residential localities on the outskirts were not covered under it.
“Why can’t the outskirts be clean like the city centre?” This question was posed by residents of villages and layouts that do not come under Mysuru City Corporation limits but are part of the city and technically with the GPs.
According to information sourced from the Mysuru Zilla Panchayat, villages coming under 17 GPs are part of the city and waste generated there is not being handled scientifically. This poses health and sanitation challenges.
There is no mechanism to separate dry and wet waste, nor is there a dedicated system to manage solid waste, as in the city. Also, there is a lack of awareness among residents regarding efficient handling of waste.
Faced with complaints from the public, the Mysuru ZP intervened and told the GPs to identify land where waste could be segregated and disposed of scientifically. The dry waste can be reused, as is done by the MCC, while wet waste can be turned into compost.
Mysuru Zilla Panchayat CEO Jyothi told The Hindu that the issue of uncleared solid waste under GP limits has come to her notice and was being attended to on priority. “I have asked the GPs to make use of their revenue for handling waste and setting up units for waste segregation and disposal. If the GPs lack vehicles, they can be purchased using their revenue,” she said, adding that there was no clear demarcation of MCC and non-MCC limits.
She said the GPs can enter into some understanding with agencies that turn wet wastes into compost, as is being done at the plant set up by the MCC.
Waste, including meat, can be found dumped on the outskirts, especially along the Outer Ring Road and its service road. Locals say unhygienic waste is dumped after dusk in order to avoid the attention of residents. The link roads to the ORR have not been spared, and foul smell has forced residents near J.P. Nagar near the railway track to take a different route to access the ORR.
