Post rain, open garbage dumps a pain

Gurvinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 16

Poor solid waste management and open garbage dumps at various points in the district are already a big nuisance. But these acquire a much uglier proportion when it rains.

Residents are a worried lot, as several open garbage dumps can be seen in Moti Nagar, Damoria Bridge, Chandigarh Road area and other parts of the city, which turn worse when it rains.

While the garbage is already a mess, rainwater having been added to it, makes roads and streets further polluted.

Residents say the authorities must end the lackadaisical approach and apply more resources at least during the rainy season. “The road has become messier. Nerve-wrecking stink from dumps has made breathing difficult,” says Rakesh, a resident of Moti Nagar.

“When the road gets waterlogged, the garbage gets mixed with water and it floats everywhere. So, even when water recedes, the garbage is left behind,” says Inderpreet, a shop owner in Chhawni Mohalla.

Commuters are also indignant. “I was on bike this morning and had to put my foot down on the waterlogged road. The waste got wrapped around my ankles, which was disgusting,” said Gurvir, another resident.

“Bureaucrats and politicians must be made to pass through this mess,” he said.

Residents say the government should set priorities right and find a solution to the problem that the city confronts year after year. “The government must spend money in the right places. When crores are being spent on unwanted and unneeded flyover on Ferozepur Road, the same money could have been pumped into resolving waterlogging, solid waste management or Buddha Nullah problems,” says Amandeep, a resident.

“But we live in a society of corrupt and insensitive political and bureaucratic quagmire, who think of filling their own pockets than fixing residents’ problems,” said Ankit Kumar, a resident of Sector 39.