Canal banks littered post visarjan at Doraha

The post-Ganesh visarjan scenario along the Sirhind canal near Doraha was deplorable as garbage was openly littered along the banks by the devotees, with no check, whatsoever, from the side of the administration.

The manner in which garbage had been littered presented an obnoxious scene all around. “Celebrating an occasion is one thing but the manner in which the banks and the waterbodies are being polluted is highly objectionable. The waste being littered along the canal is not only disgraceful but toxic and endangers aquatic life,” said Barjinder Jandu, a social worker of the area.

Another social worker, Joginder Kirti, said, “Devotees left all sorts of litter, including plastic bags, eatables, napkins, bottles, wood, debris, etc. On one hand we observed Swachhata Pakhwada from September 1-15, while on the other many of us are littering sensitive areas in such a careless manner.”

Jandeep Kaushal, another resident and social worker from Doraha, said, “The situation has remained unchanged for years. The administration fails to rise to the occasion. The organisers and the devotees litter the canals but due to the absence of any legal repercussions, no lessons are learnt for the future. Such celebrations should be carried out in a systematic manner, under set guidelines.”

Kaushal added, “We, the members of the Social Canal Park Committee, have been cleaning the banks on our own after every such celebration. We reach the canal the very next morning with big bags, collect the garbage and dispose it in a systematic manner. However, this is not possible every year. It is for the administration to look into the matter. The authorities should have warned the organisers beforehand and any lapse on their part should have ended with a penalty appropriate to the degree of offence.”

Doraha Executive Officer Harnarinder Singh said the area did not fall under the jurisdiction of the MC. “It is under the purview of the Canal Department,” he added. The council employees were, however, found cleaning the spot to which the EO said, “They might be doing so on the bidding of a local councillor.”