Doctors of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) dispensary in Andheri East claim the BMC has turned a deaf ear to their complaints regarding the the stench and filth of garbage bins right outside their gate. The doctors said four large BMC garbage bins have been outside the entrance of the dispensary,in the Bamanwadi area near the Chakala cigarette factory,for years and the garbage is a constant source of discomfort for them. Since this is a low-lying area with a nullah right outisde the dispensary,when the garbage bins start overflowing during the monsoon,the waste blocks our entrance and flows into our compound. It is dirty,stinks terribly and makes it difficult for people to wade through, said Chief Medical Officer Dr Nalini Bawane. Naren Korade,who works as a contract labourer for the BMC,said the bins are emptied only once a month or sometimes once in two months. The same situation can be seen in the entire area. The nullah by the dispensary has been cleaned recently,but it still gets clogged, he said. Local Anant Gorivale said,It has been a problem for years. The BMC truck does not come regularly. Our children pass the dump on their way to school and it stinks. In fact,an old,decaying bin has been lying near the nullah for a long time and has not yet been removed. Bawane added,The approach road to the area is narrow due to hutments,which compounds the problem. Bawane,after complaints from patients,senior citizens and residents of the New Airport colony near the dispensary,wrote a letter to the K-East Ward office in August-end,but has still not got a reply. My main concern,as I pointed out in the letter,is that very sick patients who come to us will be even more prone to diseases caused by this garbage. I asked for the garbage bins to be removed or at least regularly cleaned, she said. Officials from the K-East ward office were not sure whether such a letter had been received,but promised to inspect the area. Some of these containers are 10 to 15 years old and cannot be shifted since there is no alternative solution for their placement. If there is an alternative,we will definitely do something about it. I will report it and ask my department to inspect the area soon, said Abhijeet Rodge,sub-engineer,environment department,K-East ward.
