Bengaluru: Despite being Bengaluru’s premier commercial hub, Brigade Road is not spared from the city’s garbage crisis. Traders are worried and frustrated as heaps of waste — plastic bags, cardboard and rotting debris — pile up openly on the busy street, deterring shoppers and tarnishing the area’s image.Brigade Road, located in central Bengaluru near the MG Road Metro station, houses nearly 125 stores that attract thousands of visitors daily.At present, three garbage black spots have formed beneath transformers — two on the main road and one inside a lane. Fruit peels, paper waste, leftover food, juice bottles, posters and packaging boxes are seen strewn across the area. The garbage has spilled onto parts of the footpath, attracting rats and creating an unhygienic environment for shoppers and traders alike.Despite repeated complaints, traders claim the garbage has not been cleared for more than a month, affecting business and footfall. Imran Ahmed, owner of Silk and Cashmere, said, “We have been here for the last 12 years. At present, rats have become a major problem. I even spent Rs 2,000 to put up a banner in front of the store asking people not to throw garbage as per GBA guidelines, but nobody is listening. Shopkeepers, rose sellers, food sellers and others keep dumping waste here. At present, we are forced to take the garbage ourselves and dispose of it somewhere else.”A worker at a clothing store on Brigade Road said, “It is true that we have not been able to dispose of the garbage as nobody is coming to collect it. With no other option, we are handing it over to our cleaning staff, who dump it in nearby dustbins or elsewhere. We are paying them extra for this.”Suhail Yusuff, secretary of Brigade Shops and Establishments’ Association, said, “Even last week, I complained for days before a marshal finally came and cleared the garbage. After that, nobody turned up for the next eight days. Traders are repeatedly raising complaints over the piling of waste.”However, officials from Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) denied the allegations. A senior official said, “Pourakarmikas are sent to the area every day to clean the roads and clear the garbage. A separate vehicle has also been allotted for waste collection. However, a few commercial establishments fall under the GBA, for which we are not responsible.”A GBA official has denied any accumulation of garbage on the road, saying the vendor responsible for lifting is collecting garbage on a daily basis.
