3 weeks on, debris of abattoir landslide yet to be removed

Sameer Singh

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Shimla, September 4

It is over three weeks since a landslide hit the slaughterhouse area in Krishna Nagar, but the debris has not been removed from the site. With animals carcasses buried under the debris, a threat of epidemic spread looms large over the area and a foul smell emanates from the site.

In view of the safety of the residents living adjacent to the landslide site, the administration had declared the area a containment zone and imposed complete restriction on movement. Apart from this, the administration had also instructed people residing nearby and downstream to avoid using water from the sources there.

The foul smell emanating from the carcasses had spread in the area. This had forced the Shimla civic body to get the area sprayed with disinfectants. The smell is now restricted to the landslide site.

Tarlok Singh, a resident living near the landslide site, said, “It is close to a month now, but both government and local administration have failed to get the area cleared of the debris and animal carcasses. The officials need to wake up from their deep slumber. There is risk of spread of diseases in the area. Moreover, the pedestrian path connecting the area with the main road has been damaged. We request the administration to restore the path temporarily for the time being so that the elderly, patients requiring immediate medical care, office-goers and others do not suffer.”

Another resident, Krishna, said, “Had it not been for the political bickering among officials, the landslide site would have been cleared by now. More than a week ago, a JCB machine was pressed into service for removing the debris. The machine removed the waste for some hours before leaving. No one has shown up for the removal of waste at the landslide site since then. A JCB machine was seen near the heap of debris today.”

Notably, the issue of clearing the area of landslide debris was brought up by Bittu Kumar, councillor of Krishna Nagar ward, during the recent Shimla Municipal Corporation meeting, following which, Mayor Surender Chauhan became irate. A heated exchange ensued between the two. The Mayor alleged that the councillor was playing politics on the matter and that Kumar did not bring the issue to his notice earlier, but put it up during the meeting. Later, BJP councillors had sought an apology from the Mayor for alleged misconduct.

The residents of the area rued that though the work on the removal of debris had been initiated, it was stopped right after and has not resumed since then. “We have unnecessarily become victims of political one-upmanship,” a resident said.

Meanwhile, Kumar said, “The work started only a days after I raised the issue at the MC House meeting. However, the work was put on a halt soon after. The area residents are quite perturbed over the issue and keep asking me to put up the matter with the government. I brought up the matter with the officials concerned but neither the debris nor the animal carcasses have been removed from the slaughterhouse area, thereby making the area residents vulnerable to diseases.”

Shimla MC Commissioner Bhupender Attri said, “The work of the removal of debris has been continuing in the area. As a safety measure, the area has been sanitised.”