Trash mixed with rainwater spells chaos on city roads

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 29

Take a round of the city and one feels like simply disowning it. There are heaps of garbage growing in size since almost a week. As safai karamcharis continue to be on an indefinite strike and there seems to be no breakthrough by the authorities yet, it is residents who are at the receiving end.

To add to the woes, these heaps of garbage got mixed with rainwater as downpour lashed the city. As a result, the waste is now flowing from roadsides and intersections towards the centre of roads. The garbage is not only lying strewn at designated dumping sites but also at several points on roads wherever people find it convenient to throw waste from their houses.

The entire situation has not only turned out to become an eyesore but has also made the environment unhygienic. The worst affected is the Rama Mandi area where garbage heaps, mostly rotten vegetables and organic waste, are lying in the centre of the road adjoining the central verge. There are heaps lying in all places, including Jyoti Chowk, Shastri Chowk, Alaska Chowk, Ladowali Road, Nakodar Road, Sodal area and Ladhewali.

Even market places, including Rainak Bazaar and Model Town, were seen filled with rainwater-soaked garbage, due to which pedestrians and two-wheeler riders faced a lot of issues.

“It has been a week since workers collecting garbage from houses have not been coming. Hence, we have no option but to throw it on roadsides away from our homes. We have been doing this every night as it gets dark. But it has become an endless exercise and even the roadsides have become bursting with filth and we feel guilty doing the same,” said Mamta Sharma, a resident of posh New Jawahar Nagar. The parents say that they did not feel like sending their children to parks as even boundaries of parks and playgrounds are filled with the filth.

“As nearly 500 tonnes of waste is produced in the city every day, nearly 3,500 tonnes is lying on the roads since the strike began. Our lives are affected and it is difficult to live amid such an unhygienic environment. We are undoubtedly prone to more diseases,” said Sonia Bakshi, a resident of Urban Estate.

Safai unions are demanding filling of vacant posts on a regular basis while the authorities are adamant on contractual recruitment.

Mayor Jagdish Raja said: “We are trying best to get the strike withdrawn. A meeting with union leaders has been fixed for tomorrow morning and we are expecting that the strike will end soon.”

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