DCC drive encouraging

There is no doubt that it can not be a one-off thing taking into account the fact that the rate at which the garbage piles far outpaces the disposal. According to recent studies, the city produces more than 3,500 tonnes of solid rubbish including domestic, industrial, commercial and medical wastes per day. And only 45 to 50 percent of these get hauled up by the DCC, meaning thereby that the remainder is piling up on the roadsides and other places in geometric progression. And that's where the heart of the problem lies.

There are three elements to the cleaning operation -- collection, disposal or transportation, and dumping. The facts and figures say that the DDC is not equipped in terms of manpower and finances to be carrying out any of the three functions adequately, far less effectively. And because of lack of scientific dumping, which has to do with recycling of wastes into organic fertiliser of tremendous value in the end-part of the process, we are being subjected to severe forms of environmental pollution.

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We would like to know in clearer terms from the mayor of DCC as to what structural limitations his organisation has; what are the logistical and equipment gaps in the infrastructure that he commands; and what are the financial constraints he faces in carrying out his obligations. He needs to put all of these into a well-thought-out plan with a vision that can be implemented. Otherwise, spurts of drive will create a delusion of something being done but nothing substantial coming off it in reality. We, in the media, can assure the mayor of our all-out cooperation to a sustainable programme of action backed by the right kind of vision that he hopefully will have drawn up before it is too late. We will back it up to the hilt in persuading the government to provide him with the support he needs.