Garbage pile and students’ bag of woes

Garbage pile and students’ bag of woes Published: Monday, Sep 3, 2012, 14:20 IST By Y Maheswara Reddy | Place: Bangalore | Agency: DNA About 200 schoolchildren are finding it difficult to eat or study. Some even complain of skin allergy. The culprit is the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) which hasconverted a vacant space behind government higher primary school building in Mamulpet into a garbage collection point. Students keep their noses covered as they cautiously step on the garbage spilled on to the road while entering and exiting the building. Apart from accommodating a government higher primary school, the building also houses a government higher primary school shifted from Sultanpet due to Metro work. These schools are situated on the first and second floors of the building while the ground floor is rented out to various businesses. The residents and shop owners dump garbage near the building causing inconvenience to students. The teachers keep the windows closed to avoid the stench emanating from the garbage. “It is inconvenient for us to take the food being served to us in this foul atmosphere,’’ said Shailaja N, a seventh grader. Most of the students hail from nearby slums and other backward areas. A few of them try to avoid attending classes on some pretext. “I’ve been suffering from skin allergy due to the unhygienic condition here,’’ said a student on the condition of anonymity. Expressing displeasure over the BBMP’s failure to regularly clear the garbage, Sajjan Raj Mehta, former president of Karnataka Hosiery and Garments Association, said students face health risk due to the unhygienic atmosphere near the school. “It is pity to see students here. Pedestrians and two-wheeler riders are also finding it tough to use this road. I hope the BBMP authorities do the needful to keep this place free from garbage for the benefit of the students and businessmen,’’ said Mehta. Teachers say the atmosphere is not conducive to conduct classes but they cannot afford to take up the issue with higher authorities. “Besides garbage, sound pollution from atemple under construction also prevents us from focusing on teaching. This is not the suitable location for a school. The devotees of a particular temple use loudspeakers to chant mantras and sing bhajans. We can’t afford to complain against them,’’ said a teacher on the condition of anonymity. + - -- Sajjan Raj Mehta