Baroli: A hotbed of death, despair and disarray
Breeding ground for mosquitos, no concrete roads, persistent stench, mounds of garbage has deadlocked every nook of the hamlet.
Baroli, Mathura: Driving along the holy city of Mathura, you can see a redundant remote village situated at the periphery. The Baroli village, 35 km away from the main city of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, houses nearly 500 families. Villagers reside with harmony and redundant, however the poor waste management system in the village is a toxic curse steadily killing those living there. The stink hits you right after entering the village. Reeling under the risk to contact hazardous diseases, the villagers now feel that they are living in a hell.
"The spread of lethal diseases like dengue and malaria is quite palpable in the village as the increasing level of waste has become a breeding ground for the flies and mosquitos.” The rapid spread has led to death of more than 10 children in the whole village with little to no medical care," said Arun, another resident.
Beyond its bad roads, piled up garbage and poor governance, the untreated waste in a common river looms large. Numerous bags of garbage and household waste is being dumped at one place, which in turn leaves this untreated sewage muck getting washed into the larger filth.
The loss of agricultural activity as a way to make ends meet has been an another problem that has affected the development of the area. Ground water which is used for irrigation is highly poisonous that it cant be put to further use due to which many villagers have been forced to switch to other non-lucrative activities.
Another man who spoke on the condition of anonymity said:”In the past few years, leaders and corporation members have not even bothered to visit the village. During the elections, they will come for votes and making false promises which has undermined our trust. The majority of population here earns Rs.100-150 a day by ploughing the fields, which is also in distress for some years.”
