Fri May 02 03:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Mangaluru’s Cleanliness Award-Winning Past Besmirched by Resurfacing Garbage Problems

**Mangaluru, Karnataka, May 2, 2025** – Mangaluru, once lauded for its exemplary solid waste management, is grappling with a resurgence of garbage blackspots across the city. The coastal city, which achieved the third rank nationally in the 2018 Swachh Survekshan survey and received several awards for cleanliness, has plummeted to 253rd place in the 2023 survey.

The reappearance of numerous blackspots, despite two phases of the citizen-driven Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan, highlights a failure in maintaining the city’s cleanliness standards. While the Ramakrishna Mission’s campaign involved extensive awareness programs and volunteer efforts, removing over 53,000 kg of waste in its latest phase, the problem persists.

Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner Ravichandra Naik attributes the issue to inadequate waste segregation by residents. He cited the implementation of penalties for non-segregation, beginning with hotels, as a step towards improvement. However, volunteers and local organizations contest this, citing inconsistent garbage collection by the MCC, particularly since the shift to a self-managed waste system six months ago. A lack of sufficient supervisors to monitor doorstep collection is also a contributing factor.

Organizations like the Ambamaheshwari Seva Trust, which actively monitors waste segregation in several wards, report that even when residents segregate waste, the MCC often collects it as mixed garbage. This, combined with infrequent collection of dry waste, particularly in areas like Kottara and Urwa, contributes to the growing number of blackspots.

The MCC claims to not have received complaints about uncollected garbage; however, the Ramakrishna Mission reports receiving numerous calls from citizens on this very issue. Solutions proposed include establishing a dedicated helpline for reporting uncollected garbage and blackspots, forming a rapid response team, and involving local residents in monitoring and awareness efforts. Unless these issues are tackled, Mangaluru’s hard-won reputation for cleanliness will remain tarnished.

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