road divider on Inner Ring Road opposite Major Hemant Jakate School and Hudkeshwar Police Station, where Mhalgi Nagar flyover is under construction, has turned into a dumping site. Due to ongoing work, the divider got damaged and citizens are now carelessly dumping solid waste there. Post rains, it is difficult to cross the stretch without avoiding the unbearable foul stench as the waste material is slowly decomposing. A ground visit by ‘The Hitavada’ on Wednesday revealed heaps of garbage piled up on the divider. Cement sacks, plastic bags, thermocol, black polythene sheets and domestic waste were seen dumped openly on median pillars marked P-55. Wild weeds have grown over the waste, indicating that it has not been cleared for a long time.

 

The streetlights on the stretch are also non-functional. Near the under-construction Mhalgi Nagar flyover, the service lane has become slushy and water-logged. Stagnant rainwater mixed with garbage, deep tyre marks, and mud on the carriageway were prominently visible. Moreover, school vehicles and private buses were also seen parked illegally besides road-divider on highway -- constricting the already narrow path, making movement difficult for heavy vehicles. Local residents said the dumping is being done openly on the main highway, raising dust during dry hours and stench during rains.

 

Students in the vicinity and pedestrians are forced to walk through the garbage-strewn muddy stretch, posing a serious health and accident risk. Despite the site being located just opposite Hudkeshwar Police Station, no action has been taken yet. Citizens have demanded that NMC and the PWD contractor should immediately clean the divider, remove construction debris and stop open dumping on the divider.