On a visit by Newsline reporter , it was seen that while some students were having their lunch on the pavement , others were pushing each other around on a wheel-barrow. ``I know it's dirty,'' admits Vineet, a Class VI student, who is giving his friend Ramesh a ride. `But it's good fun,'' he exults. Obviously, he's too young to have heard of bacterial and fungal infections. A teacher pointed out that the Kalwa police station,located inside the campus, dumps the confiscated stuff in the premises, to make matters worse. The principals of all these schools refused to comment because ``they have a family to think of''. Admitting that the school ground was being used as a dumping ground, they said questionably: ``who can we complain to?''

The health authorities, however, claimed that the opposition to the garbage vehicles in the school was ``a new phenomenon''. According to them, ``in the five years that we have been here, no one's ever said anything.'' They allege that the genesis of the problem is the local BJP corporator. The cops in the neighbouring room also subscribe to these views. ``She has suddenly developed feelings towards the school children,'' said a constable. B R Patil, the police station in-charge, admitted: ``We try and take the stuff we confiscate to the store at Thane. Sometimes it is late in the night and we have to leave it lying around. But the issue has been blown out of proportions.'' He informed that thespace for the police station was allotted by the corporation in March this year. ``We pay Rs 5,450 as rent to the TMC for this space,'' he said. The TMC commissioner, T S Chandrshekhar, on the other hand, said it was a temporary arrangement because of the urgent need of the local residents. `