A novel but stinky protest was witnessed on the streets of Banjara Hills on Sunday morning. The elite were accused of being unhygienic and resorting to mindless garbage dumping by the slum dwellers of Ambedkar Nagar in Banjara Basti. This led to the protestors dumping garbage right back at the entrances of bungalows and plush homes.
Under the banner of Basti Vikas Manch, about 50 residents of Ambedkar Nagar took out a rally in the residential colonies behind Taj Banjara lake. Their grouse was that the garbage from independent houses and apartments is directly dumped into the lake and its periphery areas, thus raising health concerns for the slum dwellers who live in settlements abutting the Banjara lake. What made the slum habitants angrier was the fact that sewage was also being released into the lake illegally.
“These Basti residents are a reformed lot. Each family almost spends Rs. 50 to make sure garbage is not strewn around and is lifted regularly,” informed Sunny Kumar Rai, convenor, Basti Vikas Manch.
The protestors went around raising slogans and holding banners trying to create awareness. They decided to explain the issue to some residents while for some they decided to convey their anger by dumping garbage.
