A pedestrian in Bengaluru, India, urged the government to clean up the city's sidewalks when faced with an almost unwalkable curbside, heaped in trash.
"I hope this post reaches [the Bengaluru administrative body responsible for infrastructure] so they can bring in community help to fix," the Redditor wrote in their post to the subreddit r/IndianCivicFails.
They included an image of the sidewalk that remained "dirty, under-maintained, smelly and blocked." The OP also stated that the piles of trash on sidewalks make them feel as though "There's no place left for pedestrians even in major city centers."
"Now my question is, how are we supposed to walk at this point?" They added.
India is ranked as the third most polluted country in the world. It has an air quality index (AQI) of 111, well above the healthy AQI, which ranges from 0 to 50. Unending factory pollution combined with poorly managed trash waste facilities, are some reasons why India's AQI remains high. As these Redditors prove, it's not just the air quality that is creating an unhealthy city. The pervasiveness of waste in Indian cities is substantially affecting the quality of life for Indian citizens, with multiple reports suggesting that the littering problem in India is culminating in nearly unwalkable cities.
One Indian resident wrote that inadequate infrastructure for sufficient garbage bins in public areas and poor enforcement of littering laws are among the reasons why littering is falling under the radar, contributing to mass pollution. Litter left out on the streets contributes to wastewater runoff, polluted waterways, hazardous chemicals seeping into the air, and soil contamination infecting human food supplies.
The massive amounts of trash in the streets, as showcased by this Redditor, also discourage walking, fostering even more air pollution through alternative transportation. Safety for those who require the sidewalk, like wheelchair users or children, is also impeded.
Economic issues have also been linked to littering. Plastics for Change found that uncollected plastic waste alone could cost India more than $133 billion in lost material value by 2030.
Indian citizens call for the city to make a change to the littered sidewalks.
"Face similar situations every day!" Wrote one. They added, "Hope they take this one seriously too, because safe walkways are a basic need, not a luxury."
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