The parking and operation of garbage collection vehicles of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation in Malviya Nagar, Khamla, has turned a residential pocket into a foul-smelling and unhygienic zone, triggering widespread anger among citizens and raising serious public health concerns. An open ground along London Street, opposite a car detailing shop, is being routinely used to park municipal garbage trucks after they complete daily dumping at the Bhandewadi dumping yard. Garbage residue leaking and falling from these trucks has accumulated across the plot, giving it the appearance of a mini dumping yard. Decomposing waste, plastic and organic matter remain scattered for days, emitting a persistent stench and creating ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes.

 

“The smell is unbearable, especially in the evenings. We cannot even open our windows,” said Ramesh Kulkarni, a resident of a nearby housing society. “This is a residential area, not a dumping ground. The corporation is risking our health by allowing this negligence to continue,” he added. The problem intensifies every Saturday, when the adjacent road is used for a weekly vegetable market. Citizens allege that vendors and buyers are forced to operate amid rotting garbage, flies and foul odour, severely compromising hygiene and food safety. “People are buying vegetables just a few metres away from garbage-filled trucks,” said vegetable buyer Sunita Deshmukh. “How can anyone call this safe or acceptable? The authorities are completely ignoring ground realities,” stated Deshmukh. According to residents, the garbage trucks collect waste from homes across various localities, transfer it to larger vehicles for disposal, and then return to Malviya Nagar for parking, often without proper cleaning.

 

Waste falling from the trucks is left unattended, spreading across the open ground and adjoining road. Neighbouring societies have reported increased mosquito menace, nausea and respiratory discomfort, particularly among children and senior citizens. Several complaints and representations have been submitted to civic officials, demanding relocation of the truck parking area, regular washing and sanitisation of vehicles, and immediate cleaning of the ground. Citizens have warned that continued inaction will force them to intensify their agitation, holding the civic administration responsible for turning a residential locality into a health hazard.