MC turns posh areas into dumpyard

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 9

With no choice left in view of protests at Bhagtanwala and the court orders staying dumping at Fatahpur, the Municipal Corporation owned tractor-trailers are unloading garbage at a vacant plot in the posh Ranjit Avenue locality.

The residents lamented that the civic body’s move poses a serious health hazard to them. Besides, other key areas of the city like Lawrence Road are also in a mess. There has been absolutely no lifting of garbage since March 24. Even the parking lots of Lawrence Road have been filled with garbage, which has been lying unattended for over three days. Consequently, stray animals like cattle and dogs, which also has led to traffic chaos, are feeding on the waste. The situation has become so grim that now the garbage is being set on fire to dispose it off on the spot.

A cycle trailer was spotted within the MC’s own office complex at Town Hall, whose carriage was set on fire to dispose off the garbage.

A computer trader at Nehru Shopping Complex Lovekesh Gupta said the situation on Lawrence Road was so grim that it was impossible to pass through the market complex without covering nose with handkerchief.

He said, “We have initiated the cleanliness drive under the Swachch Bharat Campaign in collaboration with other traders, but all our efforts have been brought to naught because sweepers have complained that garbage is not being lifted for last few days. It has piled up in the parking lots.”

Another key location at Ranjit Avenue too is now being misutilised to dump the city garbage. A vacant plot under the jurisdiction of Amritsar Improvement Trust is the latest discovery of civic authorities in this direction. This plot is located on the main road and surrounded by houses. A resident, Vikas Malhotra, said for the past three days, he had been spotting garbage-laden trailers dumping the garbage at this particular location.

Another resident, Dr RS Boparai, who runs a clinic on the same stretch, said, “We educate residents to keep their surroundings clean, but here, the civic authorities themselves have been spoiling the environment, which is fully habitated and has a major shopping complex of the holy city.”

Arya Girls’ Senior Secondary School, which is located inside the walled city is another place where garbage can be seen lying at the entrance and surroundings posing a health risk to children and the residents living nearby. Another spot behind the Four ‘S’ School is being used for burning garbage, which has scattered along the roadside.

Municipal Corporation Commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal said they were facing problem as there was no dumping ground. He assured the residents that the matter would be resolved soon.