After days of glitter, garbage dots city

The city recently celebrated a string of festivals — Dasehra, Karvachauth, Diwali, and most recently Chhath Puja with great enthusiasm. But once the glitter faded, heaps of garbage were left behind. While everyone knows how to celebrate, few remember the responsibility of cleaning up afterward.

Flowers, fruit peels, diyas, pottery, gift wrappers, and polythene bags used for puja now litter the streets. Despite widespread awareness about segregating waste and composting organic material, most residents ignore these practices.

Take a look at the Bist Doab Canal, where Chhath Puja was observed on Monday evening and Tuesday morning. Before the festival, the Drainage Department ensured the canal was cleaned. Today, with water no longer being pumped in, the stretch within city limits is filthy. Leftovers from offerings — banana shoots, pineapple crowns, coconut shells, flowers, pots, burnt diyas, and plastic — are strewn across the canal.

Shockingly, none of the sabhas or community leaders who organized the puja returned to clean up the mess. These groups also held cracker shows along the canal and near Devi Talab Mandir, adding to the pollution. While prayers were being offered, fireworks lit up the sky — but now, the aftermath tells a different story.

Canal to be fenced soon

An official of the Drainage Department shared that presidents of various Bihar-based organisations had been asked to get the debris cleared from the canal. He added the department had decided to fence the canal so that the problem of dumping of waste round the year gets resolved. “Tenders for the purpose have already been floated and once the contract is awarded, the work shall begin. Fencing shall resolve the day-to-day problem of throwing of filth to a large extent. For the past many years, we had been writing to the MC authorities to get the garbage dumping into canals checked, but no one had paid a heed”, said the official.

“The Drainage Department had cleaned the canal a day before Chhath Puja. After the festival is over, no one will bother to clean the filth. Whatever waste has been thrown into it will remain as it is till the time another cleaning exercise is done, which may take months. Till then, the garbage will keep on piling inside it. People from adjoining colonies will also continue to throw their domestic waste into it. The department should again deploy MGNREGA workers for re-cleaning of the canal, deploy staff to ensure that there is no dumping of home waste into it or install cameras and impose penalty on those who do not follow its instructions.” Sardari Lal, a shopkeeper near the Bist Doab Canal.

Air quality poor in city

Crackers burnt in the last few weeks and smoke from stubble burning have polluted the entire atmosphere. The AQI level in Jalandhar at 3 pm on Wednesday was 241, the highest in Punjab. Though there has been smog since Diwali night, this morning the city had the thickest layer. Throughout the day, Sun rays had to struggle to make way through this envelop of smog. Since it was less sunny in the day, the maximum and minimum temperature came down two notches from 31 to 29 degree Celsius in the day and 19 to 17 degree Celsius in the night.

Garbage collectors absent

Not just the air and water, even the roadsides remain filthy in the city. Garbage collectors, who originally hail from Bihar, did not go for door-to-door collection of waste for three-four days owing to Chhath celebrations. The people in these wards conveniently threw waste along roadsides or any other undesignated dumping sites a little away from their places.

Impose fine

After the festival is over, no one will bother to clean the filth. People from adjoining colonies will continue to throw their domestic waste into it. The department should install cameras and impose penalty on violators. — Sardari Lal, A shopkeeper