Early Times Report
Srinagar, May 10: Srinagar Municipal Corporation, the official guardian of Srinagar city, has allegedly turned into its destructor, as the sanitation staff associated with SMC has created several dumping sites in open plots and around water-bodies.
The Bagh-e-Mehtab, Doodh Ganga dumping site is one such example wherein SMC has created a mega garbage collection point on the banks of river Doodh Ganga which flows around the area.
Sources say that from 2012 on-wards SMC sanitation staff has been using a piece of land which is part of Doodh Ganga embankment at Bagh-e-Mehtab in city outskirts as a dumping site. The safai karamcharis, according to local residents, are carrying all the garbage in their handcarts to the said site where it is unloaded regularly allege locals.
"Even the small vehicles of SMC bring all the waste collected from entire Bagh-e-Mehtab colony to this place where it is dumped, and after many hours or even days the same is taken away by big garbage carrying vehicle. The area stinks so much that nobody dares to walk through the area. Also, as many as three to four dozen dogs are always present near this trash site.
The commuters who wait for the bus near the dumping site face tremendous problems," said Ajaz Ahmad, a resident of Bagh-e-Mehtab.
The pictures of the dumping site have gone viral on social media as well from last few days and people are criticizing the work-culture within SMC.
As reported already by Early Times some days back, the sanitation staff of Municipal Committee Magam is also dumping its garbage near the banks of Frerozpur nallah which flows through the town.
"The rules regarding environmental protection are not taken seriously by any authority of the state which indicates that the government is least bothered about the wellbeing of citizens. Irony is that SMC or any other municipal body which has to enforce the solid waste rules are themselves violating it," said Shahzada Salim, a social activist. |
