Rohtak’s Swachh push on, but delayed waste lifting irks locals

The Rohtak Municipal Corporation (MC) has taken multiple steps to ensure cleanliness in residential areas and public spaces in the city for improving its ranking in the upcoming Swachh Survekshan 2025-26.

However, garbage remains uncollected for several hours at some dumping points in the city. The work is also underway at several points to cover these dumping sites, preventing litter from spilling onto roads and improving the overall sanitation and visual appeal of the city.

On Sunday, garbage was lying unattended for several hours outside Bal Bhawan, near Chhotu Ram Stadium, near the Civil Hospital and along Jhajjar Road, with stray cattle rummaging through the waste. However, sanitation on city roads has improved following the launch of the road-sweeping work.

“Not just on Sundays, but on other days as well, garbage outside Bal Bhawan, is lifted with a delay and the foul smell from the waste affects road users and nearby residents. The MC authorities must ensure that garbage is lifted at shorter intervals,” said Prem Singh, a resident.

Vipin Narwal, spokesperson of the MC, said the road-sweeping work is being carried out across the city under the supervision of MC officials, while garbage from the main markets is being collected twice a day.

Regarding the dumping points, Narwal said five sites have already been covered, while the remaining points are expected to be covered in the coming days. “Garbage is lifted multiple times daily from all dumping points across the city to maintain cleanliness and ensure a hygienic environment,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, MC Commissioner Anand Kumar Sharma said special sanitation drives was being conducted with the aim of making the city clean, beautiful and pollution-free. As part of it, an MC team conducts an inspection in the city. During the inspection, action is taken against people found throwing garbage at public places, selling single-use plastic and burning waste and challans were issued on the spot.

“On Friday, the team issued seven challans amounting to Rs 7,200 during the inspection. These included one challan of Rs 5,000 for setting garbage on fire, three challans of Rs 1,500 for selling single-use plastic, and three challans of Rs 700 for littering. Burning waste and throwing garbage in the open not only violates sanitation rules but also adversely affects the environment and public health,” he added.

Sharma further said the municipal teams are also running a special door-to-door source segregation campaign along with garbage collection vehicles. “Under this drive, residents are being encouraged to separate wet and dry waste at home. People are being advised to keep at least two separate dustbins—one for wet waste and another for dry waste—to ensure proper disposal and recycling,” he added.

The commission said during the campaign, households that were not segregating waste were guided on the spot and informed to follow the practice.