Need action not just words on swachhta

Garbage being deposited in mangroves

Authorities are yet to clear a 13-year-old garbage dump from the mangroves and wetlands in Bori Pakhadi in Uran. Tired of waiting for action, green groups have started a shame them with sarcasm campaign whose calling card reads: 'protect the filth and punish the sea plants.'

Complaints have been submitted and even the Prime Minister's Office has called for action, but activists say there has been no movement with the dump growing in size. A report states that the Uran Municipal Council had promised to dispose of the dump.

It is disappointing that such filth has been allowed to accumulate through the years. It is also ironical that we have plant-a-tree campaigns, but actually allow our existing ecological treasures like wetlands and mangroves to either disappear or rot. It is laughable exhorting people to enhance green cover while doing nothing to preserve or even stop the wilful or inadvertent destruction of already existing green cover.

Why have feel-good buzzwords like Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan when a decade goes by for attention and action towards a garbage dump choking the green lifeline of an area?
Time to dump excuses and passing the buck games, and get cracking on tackling the Uran problem. Though complaints have escalated right to the top, there has been little response except platitudes. This shows that intent to tackle this garbage heap, growing every day is missing. Strong community effort, where every individual gets involved not just green warriors, a real show of people power and relentless, barrage of pressure may be effective.

It is unfortunate that there is a real push for hygiene and awareness about how cleanliness is one of the most important factors in this outbreak, but a collection of garbage continues to exist posing a huge health hazard.

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