Residents urge Dammaiguda Municipality to tackle cigarette & gutka litter in children’s park
Hyderabad: Residents of Sri Laxmi Nagar in Dammaiguda Municipality’s 17th ward are expressing significant concern over the state of their local children’s park, which has been found littered with cigarette and gutka packets. The community is urging the sanitation authorities of Dammaiguda Municipality to promptly address this issue and enforce effective measures to ensure cleanliness.
Srikhande Umesh Kumar, an RTI activist and founder of the NGO Know Your Rights, took to X (formerly Twitter) to draw attention to the issue. He tagged the official accounts of the Dammaiguda Municipal Corporation, the Collector, and the Additional Collector of Medchal Malkajgiri district. Umesh Kumar’s tweet read, “Dear Dammaiguda Municipality, request your sanitation department to look into the pathetic condition of the children’s park. Cigarette packets and gutka packets are found. Can you ask them to clean and protect this park from smokers?”
Dear @mc_dammaiguda , request your sanitation department to look into the pathetic condition of the Children’s park. Cigarette packets and Gutkas packets r found.
Can you ask them to do clean and protect this park from smokers?@ACLB_Medchal@Collector_MDL @DeccanChronicle pic.twitter.com/numniQgeKB— Srikhande Umesh Kumar (@srikhande_umesh) August 26, 2024
In response, Krishna Chaitanya suggested that the municipality should install dustbins and signboards encouraging the public to dispose of trash properly. He also recommended that the authorities impose fines on those who litter if these measures are not implemented effectively.
Sunil Suri added, “Appreciate the authorities taking action at the earliest. Sudden raids to catch the culprits and imposing fines could help improve cleanliness in the park and its surroundings.”
Speaking with Hyderabad Mail, Srikhande Umesh Kumar shared his personal experience. He said “The day before yesterday, I took my daughter to the children’s park in Sri Laxmi Nagar so she could play. Upon seeing the trash, including cigarette and gutka packets, we couldn’t stay longer. Small children who visit the park may come into contact with these hazardous items.”
Umesh criticised the sanitation department for its perceived inefficiency, saying that roads are swept only once every 10 to 15 days. He urged the public to avoid littering in the park and stressed the importance of maintaining a clean and hygienic environment to prevent seasonal diseases. Umesh has requested that authorities take prompt action to clean both the park and surrounding roads regularly.
