Unprecedented situations led to me taking a solitary auto from RTO circle in the east to the railway station in the north during the pre-dawn hours of my first morning in Bhuj. The fastest route was to take the outer ring roads of Atmaram Marg & Railway Station Road. Nothing could have prepared me for the sights that lay on the way. What a shock to find large piles of garbage lining both sides of the road! The trash mounds went on without letting up for the entire 4km of my journey. The sight was apocalyptic; a deserted road in the dark, lit only by the headlights of the auto, winding through what can only be described as a landfill, not a vehicle or human to be seen anywhere. There were few cows though, plopped on the medians and grazing as they usually do on the plastic. I had goosebumps on my skin, but not because of the cold air. 

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​​​This was not the only strangeness I experienced in Bhuj. Traveling to catch my 10 pm train on the night of my departure, the driver of my auto (a different auto from the previous incident) took the quickest route, i.e., via Station Road which cut through the Madhapara neighborhood. I was met with the worst sight - deserted muddy road with few raggedy stragglers around, potholes filled with sludge, food remnants scattered on the ground, sleazy half-shuttered butcher shops, smelly garbage heaps, poorly-built houses, barely operative streetlamps, goats tied on the roadside & left to graze on dried grass, and such. Even though it was a 10-minute route, I was thinking of how I should have packed a knife. My great relief on reaching the station doubled on finding that the platform was bright & crowded. Quite ironic.

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This is a BIG embarrassment for a city touted as a tourist base for the renowned Kachchh festival. Although the railway station/ airport surroundings are kept clean to create perfect first impressions on travelers, the same effort needs to extend beyond these areas.

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An intensive clean-up of these neighborhoods is urgently required. Landfill zones need to be identified and a sustainable approach to recycling & waste management can go a long way. The street infrastructure here is highly dated & needs upgradation to the tune of what the Gujarat government is doing in GIFT City. Both the roads facing the garbage problem lie in the vicinity of Aman Nagar (Madhapara) - a locality dominated by people belonging to one particularly problematic community. We can safely say that the people of this community have lost all sense of hygiene and order. It's a wonder how all of Bhuj hasn't been overcome with dysentery. 

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The arterial Airport Ring Road too seems to be plagued by the same problem, particularly in its northeast stretch. Being on hilly terrain & isolated from the town center contributes to municipal apathy. Far from criticism, my objective here is to educate oblivious travelers & raise awareness. There is no mention of this anywhere on the internet, even though it is a very real problem. While most of Bhuj is a peaceful, sleepy little town with a rustic charm, parts of it can be daunting for outsiders and they would do better to avoid these areas.