Garbage piles trigger public outrage

The garbage scattered along the roadsides speaks volumes about the dwindling civic conditions in the city, which receives a record number of tourists every year. Irked by a massive heap of garbage lying in front of the Sukka Talab temple on Sultanwind Road, residents and shopkeepers held a protest, led by Maninder Singh Thekedar, here on Monday.

He said that just hours after the protest, officials from the civic body arrived to clear the garbage. “Does this mean that residents now have to stage protests just to ensure cleanliness in their surrounding, something that should happen regularly?” he asked. Indeed, the entire city presents an unhygienic appearance, with garbage-strewn roads. A visit to Ramsar Road, Chownk Karori, near the Golden Temple, would clearly show the lack of priority given to cleanliness even near the holiest Sikh shrine.

Sushil Kumar, a trader near the historic Gurdwara Lohgarh, said all the arterial roads in this part of the city are stinking, with little space left for pedestrians. “People are forced to walk over garbage-covered roads,” he said. He added that these days, garbage collection does not happen daily and Safai Karamcharis show up only after a few days and even then, they only lift a portion of the waste.

Rajbir Singh, a resident of Chatti Khuhi, said that the situation seems likely to persist for a few more days, which could lead to serious health concerns. He added that the Municipal Corporation officials are waiting for the next company to take over the task of garbage collection.

Residents of the walled city are frustrated with the mounds of unattended garbage. They blame the tardy garbage collection for this situation. The garbage has made life unbearable, emitting a foul stench. He said that even shoppers are avoiding the area. He added that the permanent garbage collection spot at the intersection has turned into an unhygienic zone.

There has also been a significant increase in the number of flies and mosquitoes in the city. It appears that civic officials have neglected fumigation and other preventive measures following the recent floods in the region.

Residents and social activists have repeatedly complained about the non-lifting of garbage from various localities, as many garbage-collecting vehicles are out of service. Waste collection has been disrupted for several days now, with large heaps of garbage visible in street corners. Residents from different parts of the city claim that garbage trucks show up only occasionally, and sometimes, they leave without even picking up the waste.

MC officials said the Local Bodies Department has awarded the contract for door-to-door garbage collection in 85 wards of the holy city to a Delhi-based public limited company, which is expected to begin operations soon. In the meantime, teams are visiting different areas to collect garbage and carry out fumigation.