Cleanliness drive fails to yield results as piles of waste still lying along roads in Jalandhar
Exactly 15 days ago, Local Bodies Minister Dr Ravjot Singh launched the drive “Swachhata Di Lehar” in Jalandhar wielding a broom. He also visited Nangal Shama and PAP Chowk during the campaign. It was a fortnight-long cleanliness drive, but even after much publicity of the event, hardly any improvement is visible on the ground. The drive aimed to raise awareness among the public about the importance of cleanliness as a collective responsibility.
Even today, piles of garbage can be seen lying on the roadside near the District Administrative Complex (DAC), Suvidha Centre, Tanda Road, Guru Gobind Singh Avenue, Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar and other places in the city.
Accumulated waste is a common sight in various areas of the city. Garbage is lifted from Model Town in the every morning, but the sanitation in other areas has gone for a toss with garbage strewn along roadsides.
Rajinder Beri, former MLA, Jalandhar Central, alleged that the drive was started only for photo-ops and practically nothing was happening on the ground. “Only photos were clicked, nothing else happened during the drive. It seems that the Punjab Government is doing ‘safai’ by only talking about it. There are mounds of waste everywhere. City roads are a big proof of this,” he said.
Raman Arora, MLA, Jalandhar Central, who accompanied the Local Bodies Minister when the drive was launched assured that things would improve in the next few days.
“Safai karamchari unions have remained on strike leading to the mess in the city. But the situation will get better in a day or two,” the MLA told The Tribune.
While launching the initiative, Dr Ravjot Singh had emphasised that keeping the city and localities clean required joint effort of all residents. “Just as we maintain cleanliness in our homes, we must also put in concerted efforts to keep our surroundings clean and green,” he had said.
But, a round of various areas in the city only depicts a dirty and messy picture of the sanitation.
