Garbage Nagar

Once upon a time in 21^st century India, there was a city called Garbage Nagar. It was frequented by foreign tourists as well as domestic tourists. Upon visiting the city, one would think that 21^st century introduced a new concept of modern living far ahead of its time.

Gigantic domes of garbage were found on every junction. Lanes and by-lanes were also beautified with neatly spread out garbage. Even road dividers were not made of concrete but garbage. No dump was left unturned for the convenience of Garbage Nagar citizens.

Garbage Nagar’s single biggest facilitation, as one could guess, was the ease and leisure of disposing off garbage. One could just walk to the nearest street corner and empty the trash can. For kids it was like spraying beautiful colours onto a huge canvas. For busy Moms, the pleasure of throwing garbage was akin to splurging on shopping. 

Citizens of the busy parts of Garbage Nagar didn’t even have to walk. They could throw the garbage right from their front porch or the balcony. It created landfills sometimes facilitating parking, at other times creating diversions or blocking of roads. All unchallenged because the traffic could also get to do this when it got home. Garbage Nagar reclaimed land more than any coastal primate city could have from the sea.

The old folk used to gather in garbage gardens for morning exercises. Young ones went to schools straddling garbage lands and ponds. The schools of Garbage Nagar were just another house. This created a homely atmosphere for the kids to study and learn. Practical sessions involved enlightening students about animal organs, various fruits and vegetables, house hold equipment, found in the garbage around.

Throwing lavish marriage functions was another preoccupation of Garbage Nagar populace. If one were to move about the city, one would see big spaces called XYZ lawns and BYC lawns. Lawns were not exactly lawns but an open space where families could come together in garbage filled matrimonial bonds. Everlasting nature of their relationships was confirmed by coming together and filling so-called lawns with enormous quantities of litter. In fact, the status and prestige of families was determined on the basis of the garbage they left behind.

Entire Garbage Nagar was an aware citizenry. They experimented with life and rules for better living. All around the periphery, special soil deposits could sort organic from the inorganic waste, wet from dry waste – all by itself. As a result, denizens could avail organic produce with hints of garbage immunisation for consumption. The local administration made arrangements to dry up local ponds, denude mountains and declare hundreds of hectares as reserved land for garbage. The water supply department had also introduced garbage in pipelines to ensure highly developed immunity to meet the challenges of increasingly polluted world.

What’s more, the long-standing traffic issue faced by Garbage Nagar was resolved permanently. The strategically planned garbage islands, smooth garbage fillings on highways, lane markers and dividers efficiently streamlined vehicular movement in and out of city.

Not only this, but the totally defunct sports centres had voluntarily rented their premises to garbage filling missions. It encouraged and enabled students to focus on studies more, irrespective of their talent. A city dedicated to producing engineers, doctors and CA’s now had ambitious target of producing highest number of these in the world. Joblessness and inefficiency gave rise to endeavour. All thanks to Garbage Nagar’s, ‘Live like Garbage, Think Like Garbage’ mission.

For nearly twenty years, development in Garbage Nagar had raced far ahead of other municipal areas of India. The city has risen above all others in achieving total immunity from sanitation, awareness and reasoning among its residents. Children especially stayed home mostly keeping their energies focused on studies whether they were up to it or not. Other cities sent special teams to emulate this model.

One septuagenarian of Garbage Nagar is on record stating, “Forty years ago I had come to Garbage Nagar with a dream. I dreamt of passing on inherited dogmas, superstitions, unquestioned control of descendants, especially women, forward.” “I don’t know whether I was completely successful in achieving it.”

“When I sit on my porch, flies swarming all around and over me, seeing the hoarding on other side of the road, my heart fills with pride. Posters of jobless, worthless young men, vermilion on their forehead, dark goggles and trendy haircuts wishing each other ‘Happy Birthday’ rise above garbage mounds. Such fraternity!”

“I hope I live to see the day when such posters will proudly stand, supported only by garbage of Garbage Nagar.”