Overflowing garbage bins not a Swachh sight in Panchkula

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, December 20

For a city that recently pledged to improve its cleanliness rankings after a decline in the latest Swachh Survekshan, the sight of overflowing dustbins, containers and filth strewn around these does little to improve its image.

For instance, a green dumpster placed near the Sector 14 Government College for Women is often found overflowing with kitchen waste, forcing people to throw filth around the already overflowing large bin. “It is an eyesore and not just raises a stink, but has become a serious health issue for people residing near the dustbins,” said Dheeraj, a resident of Sector 12-A.

SK Nayar, president of the Citizens’ Welfare Association, said, “Even though the civic body makes tall claims regarding promoting cleanliness in the city, the ground reality reflects a totally opposite scenario. Is this how the MC aspires to go on top of the cleanliness chart?”

Earlier this year, in June, the civic body had installed 300 sets of colour-coded dustbins in public places for easier waste segregation, but some of these too have been damaged or are in a bad condition. The messy state of affairs not only led to city slipping to the 99th rank in the annual cleanliness rankings, but also mirrors the lackadaisical attitude of the MC towards cleanliness.

Seeking public support, Haryana Speaker and local MLA Gian Chand Gupta had expressed confidence to improve the rankings of the city next year in Swachh Survekshan.

According to local residents, inefficient door-to-door garbage collection and absence of a solid waste management plant at the Jhuriwala dumping ground were the key reasons behind the decline in the cleanliness rankings of the city.

Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal could not be contacted for his views on the issue.