Garbage lifting tardy in walled city area

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 25

Deployment of minimum number of staff for lifting garbage, irregular timings and inadequate number of vehicles have marred the old world charm of the walled city, offering an unhygienic view to the visitors who visit the Golden Temple daily to pay obeisance.

Barring the inner and exit roads to the Golden Temple, lifting of garbage in the rest of the walled city remains tardy. Those in the hospitality industry rue that the government has not bothered to know what message over one lakh visitors coming from across the country and abroad nearly every day take along after paying obeisance at the holiest Sikh shrine.

A senior citizen, Surinder Singh, a hotelier by profession, said: “The Gurbani extols the holy city as ‘Amritsar Sifti Da Ghar’.” Abundant references of the walled city having green verdant gardens were found in the sacred Sikh literature. He said if the government makes the narrow winding streets free of garbage heaps and dirt, then the rest of things will follow. He asserted that the heritage walks failed to gain favour with the tourists as the refuse could not be lifted early in the narrow lanes.

Over the years, the government failed to install dustbins for garbage and tardy lifting left piles of waste by the roadsides in the walled city which is home to several buildings of heritage value displaying Sikh architecture.

Member of Parliament from Amritsar Gurjeet Singh Aujla said he was aware of the filthy streets and it was the result of the ongoing dispute between the Amritsar Municipal Corporation and Avarda Company, with both the parties blaming each other. But people were suffering as there are heaps of filth in the city, he said. The officials told the MP that a state-level committee has been formed by the company regarding garbage management, including increasing fees and clearing Bhagatanwala dump, which will submit its report regarding garbage management in the city.

He claimed that he had spoken to the Chief Secretary over the matter who is also reviewing the issue and the state-level panel would decide how much money the company will spend to manage the garbage and how the Bhagtanwala dump can be emptied.

Civic body Commissioner Harpreet Singh said about 500 MT of garbage is generated every day and the waste could weigh more on a rainy day.

He said the company engaged by the government to lift the garbage is currently engaging only 160 workers against the required demand for 277. Similarly, he added that the vehicles deployed were highly insufficient. Besides, lifting happens late in the afternoon which should ideally be cleared by 12 pm.