Over 16000 BBMP staff (including the contract staff) went on strike leaving the 5000 tons of garbage per day care-of-footpath. Striking workers seemed very happy at plight of the city and its citizens, holding all to ransom and our BMP Commissioner, City Mayor and State Govt looked inspired by our PM. Even after paralyzing the city administration for days, one of the strikers when asked by the media, why they are making the citizens suffer went to the extent of saying that they are doing this for the sake of the citizens, make me wonder….my my what the hell did I miss.
So when the strikers were making merry, household who do not care to read/watch news left their garbage bags in a row on their compound walls or let it hang on the gates - some leaking, some getting wet in the rains, some falling off and some bursting out. In support of the striking staff the famous street dogs of Bangalore took to streets showing their solidarity, and letting everyone know what they can do if the demands of the striking staff were not met.
Packs of dogs pulled down the garbage bags on to the streets exposing which household has babies and what diaper brand they use, lady from which household is having her periods and man from which household uses condoms, not to forget which brand. Some walked on the streets trying to ignore it all, some made futile attempts to kick ‘objectionable’ items to the storm water drains.
Some smart citizens took things into their own hands, carried garbage bags and flung it into the empty plots close by or simply threw it on the sides of nearest main road where there are no houses. The plight continued for days, rains for some reason decided to help the striking staff by adding to the raising stink on the streets of Bangalore, not that Bangalore streets were any better it just made it worst.
Garbage, Birth Certificate, Death Certificate, Property Tax etc all came to halt rather piled up. 5000 tons of garbage per day and 3 crores of revenue collection per day seemed nobodies concern. Finally after 3 stinking days they have called off the strike (it seems). Did they get back to their senses or did the City Mayor agreed to their demands is irrelevant, the stink will continue and the citizens will always be the only one to suffer.
This strike episode lack any moral stand, also stinks of arrogance and disregard makes a Bangalorean like me wonder why I should pay the additional garbage cess that was quietly slipped in to the property tax recently!!
- Kavitha Reddy