Poor sanitation bane of Fagu

Shimla, June 11

The green and scenic slope towards the valley at Fagu has been turned into a garbage dump. Fagu, a small tourist place, is located about 25 km from the state capital. In the absence of any mechanism to collect and dispose of garbage, shopkeepers, dhaba owners and other residents throw waste along the slope.

“The garbage has to be disposed of somewhere. Shopkeepers and residents are ready to pay for garbage collection and cleanliness services. Someone like Town and Country Planning or gram panchayat need to make the the arrangement in this regard. Unfortunately, no one is coming forward,” said Ashwani Sood, a local resident.

Situated right on the Shimla-Kinnaur National Highway, Fagu attracts a lot of tourists from all over the country. “The garbage is dumped right along the highway, where tourist click pictures of the valley and hills. What kind of impression the tourist will have about the place with so much garbage littered in the open?” asked a local shopkeeper. A foul smell emanating from the garbage dump causes a lot of inconvenience to shopkeepers and others in the market.

“When the wind starts blowing towards the market from the side where the garbage is littered, it becomes difficult to bear the foul smell. If no corrective measure is taken soon, the garbage dump could even trigger some health issues,” said Sood.

When contacted, Pollution Control Board officials said they are aware of the matter. “We will shortly visit the site and take whatever action is required as per the law,” said Deepak Dogra, a Pollution Control Board official.