Medhavi Sharma 31st May, 2021 :

Unsatisfactory sanitation practices across various parts of the city has raised major concerns among the residents. The challenges to sanitation in the city are linked to poor maintenance of public toilets, inability of efficient garbage collection and disposal.  Despite several issues the civic body has not been able to work up to the expectations of the residents.

Even after the commencement of Swachh Survekshan 2021, with an aim to collect door-to-door segregated waste, the process is far from streamline. Apart from this, heaps of garbage lying unattended in sectors 29, 30, 38, 45, 48, 49, 50, 51, 25 is also raising eyebrows.

Though MC has pressed over 100 new garbage collection vehicles into service but the teething problems continue to plague it.

“MC vehicles are not regular due to which, waste continues to pile up. The sweepers are too a rare sight in the sector” says Ms. Poornima Sharma, president of resident’s welfare association, sector 24, Chd. While the informal garbage collectors are functional in many sectors, the MC vehicles are doing a faring job in sectors like 6,7,8,16. “The garbage is collected regularly from all the floors, new system seems to be functioning well.” says Ms. Shama Mehta, a resident of sector 7, Chd.

As far as the public toilets are concerned, it’s been a while that the civic body has been facing criticism for being ineffectual to maintain hygienic conditions of its public utilities. The fettle currently has worsened due to the lockdown, while others are either encroached by sweepers or they are non-functional. Of 250 public conveniences in the city markets, 80% of them are in mess with leaking or dry faucets, overflowing pots and foul smell.

“Public utilities are of no use, they stink badly and are always out of water supply” exclaims Mr. Anmol, a shop owner in sector 23.

The condition of the public utilities belies the MC’s tall claims of undertaking Swachh Survekshan across the city. The upkeep of sanitation, when the whole country is under a medical emergency is quite critical for the city.