Health hazard: Garbage heaps on roadside paint a picture of neglect

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 1

An area on the side of the well-maintained road leading to two prestigious educational institutions in the vicinity of Guru Nanak Dev University is being used as an open dumping ground by city residents for years. Several cleanliness drives conducted under the Swachh Bharat Mission and by the Municipal Corporation have failed to rid the road of heaps of garbage that have become a breeding ground for stray animals.

With the IIM and CIPET campuses situated nearby, the stretch has become a bane for students, most of who are from other states. “The otherwise well-maintained road and the newly developed footpath, which is used by morning and evening walkers, fail to impress residents because of the garbage on the roadside. The stench emanating from the waste and stray animals searching for food add to the problems of students, especially those living in hostels nearby,” says Abhilash Singh, a student of CIPET’s Centre for Skilling and Technical Support.

Parminder Singh, a resident of Dashmesh Avenue, said the stretch was being used as a dumping ground for locals and industrial units in the nearby lanes for long. “The site never really became free of garbage despite efforts by the MC to clear the place of waste. Only when some dignitaries come to attend events at the IIM campus that we get to see it cleaned.” Employing measures such as landfill disposal and regular collection of garbage from homes could change the situation considerably, he added.

Poonam Sharma, another resident of the area and an evening walker, said the site was a menace because to the stray animals roaming there. “There are a lot of pigs and dogs roaming around there. Because of absence of any maintenance work during the lockdown, the roadside has also seen excess growth of Congress grass, which adds to the woes of morning and evening walkers. During the monsoon approaching, the place might turn into a breeding ground for dengue as well if it is not cleaned.”

The entire stretch of the road leading to the CIPET and IIM campuses was developed under the Smart City project. A footpath has been laid to facilitate joggers. The road is one of the busiest in the city as the area also has several small-scale industrial units.