Jwalapur residents protest filthy, unhygienic conditions

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 30

Residents of suburban Jwalapur staged a protest here today against uncovered drains and littered garbage in the area. The protesters said heaps of garbage, filth and dirt could be seen everywhere and the insanitary conditions and open drains were posing health problems for them.

Besides, littered garbage leaves a bad impression on pilgrims and tourists as foul smell makes it difficult for them to pass through these dirty lanes. Virendra Chaddha, a representative of traders, said the threat of contagious diseases was looming large due to filth and garbage lying everywhere and uncovered drains.

“We have complained to municipal corporation officials about the insanitary conditions in Jwalapur but no remedial action has been taken so far. If garbage is not disposed of immediatley, we will stage a protest at the offices of the Mayor and the Mukhya Nagar Adhikari,” said Chaddha.

Similarly, garbage and polythene bags could be seen littered in the core Kumbh mela zone at Har-ki-Pauri, adjacent Ganga ghats, inner roads, and colonies like Kankhal, Gobind Puri, Moti Bazaar, and Devpura.

Even the railway station, the bus station, the city control room tower, women’s hospital, the municipal corporation office area and other important sites are not clean and a foul smell emanating from these places makes life difficult for commuters.

Garbage being lifted to be dumped on the outskirts of the city is also not being properly ferried, and municipal corporation trucks could be seen dumping it at Bhimgoda, and Pant Deep and burning it there. Mayor Manoj Garg said as the matter had been brought to his notice now, he would inquire about it. The municipal corporation had a contract with private company KRL for door-to-door garbage collection too.

The Mayor added that he had decided to visit two wards along with respective councillors everyday to monitor cleanliness and sanitary conditions. Former municipal councillor Dinesh Joshi said though Haridwar city was a world renowned place, insanitary conditions and littered filth was denting its image of being a religious city.

He added though the civic body was upgraded to municipal corporation two years ago, nothing much had changed with regard to civic facilities and cleanliness.