Insanitary conditions at Kumbra cause respiratory ailments

Tribune News Service

Mohali, October 28

Heaps of garbage littered in Kumbra village are causing inconvenience to residents and leading to respiratory ailments and skin diseases among them.

Piles of garbage were found dumped near a primary school and close to the local market, becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes and leading to choked drains.

Residents said garbage was leading to respiratory ailments and skin allergies from garbage dumped in the village.

Balwinder Singh Kumbra, a local resident, said: “The stench from the garbage is unbearable, especially when it’s windy. It can cause TB, asthma and skin problems and is a health hazard. Waste collectors from the Municipal Corporation should collect the waste daily.”

Pawan, another local resident, said, “Safai karamcharis do not come here to collect garbage. Some people feed residual and leftover food to stray animals, who are loitering in the area, compounding the problem.”

Stray animals feed on them due to proliferation of waste in the area. Several cases of fever, malaria and even dengue had been reported in the village.

Dr Jyoti Babbar, Ayurvedic Medical Officer at the civil dispensary in the village, said: “Waste collection is not regular since the Municipal Corporation (MC) staff only collect waste once in three days. Regular dumping leads to rise in respiratory infections.”

Ramanpreet Kaur, area councillor, Ward No. 39, said some residents were guilty of dumping garbage and household waste on the ground near the primary school. 

She added that it would be ensured that safai karamcharis collect the garbage regularly.