Shivaji Nagar’s Road No. 5 in Govandi, has been plagued by overflowing public garbage bins for years. Though BMC garbage collectors clear the area daily, the gap between collections causes trash to spill out onto the road, creating both a hygiene and safety hazard.
On Monday, after mid-day brought the issue to the attention of the BMC’s M East ward, civic workers carried out a full clean-up of the stretch. Sajid Khan, a local resident who first alerted the BMC about the issue, said, “What worried us is that there are two schools right next to the garbage dump. Children walking to school have to step onto the road to avoid the trash, which makes it dangerous.”
The two schools near the garbage site are Geeta Vikas School, adjacent to the dumping area wall, and Anjuman Inayatul Islam Urdu High School. Students from both pass the spot daily, often holding their noses or walking in traffic to avoid the filth.
The trash that is compelling schoolchildren to venture onto busy Road No. 5 in Shivaji Nagar, Govandi. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
While the BMC clean-up cleared the garbage spilling onto the road, locals say the absence of a protective gate or raised boundary is what causes the mess to recur. Khan said, “When people see trash already lying on the road, they just add to it. But if there’s a clear division, residents can stop littering and hold others accountable, like before, when the gate existed.”
When mid-day first contacted the M East ward, officials said they were considering a “feedable” option for waste disposal at the site. But no timeline or plan was shared since. mid-day reached out again to M East ward officials on Tuesday for updates on their plans to install a barrier or gate at the garbage point, but did not receive a response till the time of going to press.
