FC Road residents teach hawkers a lesson in cleanliness

FC Road

Unhappy with the civic body's lackadaisical attitude towards the littering menace on Fergusson College Road, residents of Deccan Gymkhana and Prabhat Road have decided to deal with the problem their own way. The road has a number of food joints and hawkers, and patrons that throng the area tend to litter the road, residents complain. The situation has pushed them to approach the food stall owners and ask them to place dustbins beside their stalls.

Raising a stink: People visiting the food stalls on FC Road throw leftovers and plastic garbage on the roadside and on footpaths, creating nuisance for residents

The unclean footpath with garbage strewn here and there has become an eyesore for the residents. Despite their repeated complaints, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has done little to help them. "President Pranab Mukherjee recently mentioned litter-free public places in the country. However, it seems that the civic body has turned a deaf ear to the issue here," said Sumita Kale, a member of the resident's group Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti.

She added, "Hawkers have encroached the place and food stalls have mushroomed in the area. People visiting these food joints discard the leftovers and plastic cups - which are banned by the PMC - right on the road. To add to this, the sweepers appointed by PMC have a weekly off on Sunday, and thus the rubbish keeps piling and rotting till Monday morning."

The disobedience of the hawkers toward PMC officials has not helped matters any. "It's the duty of PMC to take action against this illegal encroachment due to which the area has turned into a litter zone," Kale added. One of the residents of Prabhat Road and member of Fergusson College Road, Parisar Samiti, Anupama Oak, said that the quality of life of the residents is at stake due to the garbage dumped on the roadside.

"Disappointed with the response of civic authorities, as many as 40 members of our committee approached the hawkers and asked them to place dustbins outside their stalls. However, further steps should be taken by PMC and we are ready to help them to find a permanent sustainable solution," said Oak.