Picnickers face ‘sea of litter’ as Maidan bears festive brunt
Times of India | 26 December 2024
123 Kolkata: Hundreds of revellers, who converged on the Maidan to have a picnic on Christmas afternoon, were shocked to find the green zone littered with plastic and paper. Some even complained about a stench.
TOI had earlier reported on a littered Maidan this year-end festive season with not enough effort being made to sweep the fields at the end of the day.
Picnickers said they found it difficult to spot a clean portion, where they would sit. "The entire place was strewn with plastic and other discarded items," said Srila Biswas, a resident of Durganagar, for whom spending Christmas with her family out in the green expanse of the Maidan has become a tradition. "I have been coming here for Christmas since 2016, but this is the first time I am seeing so much litter. The Maidan seems not to have been cleaned for several days. It is nauseating to sit beside horse dung, plastic and discarded food and plates."
Dipa Sarkar, a college student, picked up some litter to clean the spot she wanted. "When we came here, we could not decide where to sit as the entire field was scattered with waste. We saw others doing it and so, we, too, cleaned up the spot and spread out a plastic sheet to sit on. It was our first visit to the Maidan and we had a harrowing time, trying to find the right spot amid the sea of waste," she said.
Saibal Das, a govt employee, pointed out the civic authorities should have cleaned up the mess, given Maidan's popularity among picnickers. "It will be difficult for us to stay in the Maidan for long, given the waste and foul smell. Many first-timers had a bad impression," he said.
According to a state PWD official, although the department had deployed extra manpower for clean-up, the sheer number of visitors made the task difficult. "We engaged additional teams of cleaners and increased the frequency of cleaning for the next week. But we need time to clear the mess," said the official. A KMC solid waste management department official said the civic body gave extra trash bins to PWD to expedite the process. The Army is the custodian of the Maidan, PWD is responsible for its clean-up and KMC provides infrastructure.
Sanlap Deb, a student at a private college in Salt Lake, pointed out there should be a proper waste disposal system at the Maidan. "There should be litter bins at designated spots and visitors should be monitored against throwing away waste," said the Uttarpara resident. "This year seems worse."
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, Location Guesser and Mini Crossword. Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes, messages, and quotes.