Sanitation around Golden Temple counts on these Babas

Perneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 17

Even as the holy city has earned the dubious distinction of being one among the dirtiest cities, the state of affairs around the Golden Temple may have been equally dismal had it not been for the volunteers of Baba Kashmir Singh Bhuriwale and Baba Kulwant Singh from Ajnala who have been voluntarily cleaning up the holy shrine's surroundings daily.

Both of them have stepped in to keep the area clean as they were disappointed to see the pathetic state of affairs in terms of sanitation in the vicinity of the holy shrine. Baba Kashmir Singh has roped in 24 volunteers for the job who work in two shifts to maintain the cleanliness on all the approach roads leading to the Golden Temple -- from 10 am to 6 pm and from 8 pm to 6 am. They not only clean up the roads but also collect the garbage strewn along the roadsides.

Talking to The Tribune, Ram Singh, a spokesperson of Baba Kashmir Singh, said they are involved in upkeep of sanitation on various stretches like Ghee Mandi to Jallianwalla Bagh, Sherawala Gate to Fuhara Chowk, Kotwali to Jallianwalla Bagh, Ghanta Ghar to ‘sarais’ (inns) and Jallianwalla Bagh to Ghanta Ghar. They have also got a couple of vehicles for lifting the garbage, besides a water tanker to sprinkle water on the roads once they are cleaned up. They have also put up dustbins at different points along the road so that people don’t litter the streets. Ram Singh said Baba Kashmir Singh has already expressed his desire that the work to maintain cleanliness on some of the approach roads leading to the shrine should be permanently awarded to him. He also intends to install proper street lights, build public toilets, and develop green belt on these stretches. He has already made an appeal in this regard to the district administration and the MC.

Similarly, Baba Kulwant Singh of Ajnala is also engaged in maintaining cleanliness around the holy shrine. Talking to The Tribune, EcoAmritsar President Gunbir Singh said Baba Kulwant Singh has been doing this great service for the last around couple of years, for which he brings along volunteers from 65 villages of Ajnala every day. He said the EcoAmritsar had sponsored half the cost of a bus which is now being used to ferry these volunteers from their villages to Amritsar.

When contacted, SGPC Additional Secretary Diljeet Singh Bedi said the SGPC had earlier chalked out a cleanliness plan for the surroundings of the Golden Temple, but the MC had assured that it will do the job while seeking their cooperation in it. He said they’ve recently held a meeting with the MC Commissioner, but the SGPC is again contemplating to take control of the cleanliness around the shrine. He said a comprehensive plan will be prepared and discussed in the forthcoming SGPC executive committee meeting. The SGPC along with the district administration may hand over some approach roads for cleanliness to the religious personalities engaged in ‘kar sewa’ while the SGPC too will play a key role in it.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Akal Takht had recently expressed its anguish over poor state of cleanliness in the city.