Since last 1.5 years, I have been visiting the CSVTU, Bhilai campus. Earlier it used to be a rural area, surrounded by villages and their activities. There was a huge barren land where the domestic animals - buffaloes, cows and dogs used to roam around searching for food. It used to feel unique, taking my time out from a city life.
At some distance, there is Bhilai Steel Plant and a big water resource from where the plant gets its water and dumps the waste material. On the other side of the road, there is a burial place as well.
However, all of this was about to change, not only for me but for these animals and local people as well.
Some 8 months ago, one truck containing the city’s garbage came to the barren land and dumped the wastes. It seemed very normal at first and we thought it would be in a controlled manner but we were so wrong.
Just after few weeks, more trucks started to come and dumped every single bit of garbage they had. The scene became so bad that today, nearly 8 trucks a day come to the landfill. A land which used to be of these animals, the villagers is now being used as a big dump yard without any restrictions or responsibility.
In this picture, there is a buffalo, a big plastic bag is stuck on its horns, undeterred by the disturbance, it continues to eat, behind the buffalo, the cows and dogs swarm over the garbage truck like house flies.
None of the animals in the vicinity are having a vacation.
The following picture is of how the garbage is being burnt. Sometimes it catches fire on its own. When the wind blows, the polythene start dancing to its beats, going up and up, till the wind has the capacity to move them on its beat and then it dumps the polythene as far as it can, never to see them again, sending them again back to the city where they belong. These polythene have started roaming on around the burial site, the area covered with trees and soon reaching to the water source which is a lifeline to many.
The animals get the worst of it all. It wasn’t their fault and they have to deal with the consequences we created. They are fearful and catching various kind of skin diseases. Even looking at their eyes, you can see their pain and grief, asking you questions you don’t have answers to.
The question remains ahead of us, are we doing enough?