Cleanliness drive cosmetic, Delhi a mess

NEW DELHI: Will the city be free from garbage and dirt by August 15? A week-long sanitation and cleanliness drive was launched with much fanfare by the administration a few days back, but a reality check reveals that it has remained sporadic. While the civic agencies are making tall claims publicly, the enormity of the task rules out making any significant difference by the end of the exercise.

TOI took a round of the city. Overflowing garbage dumps and waste and debris along the roads were a common sight though the corporations claim to be removing 30% more of garbage daily as part of the drive.

Hardly 500m away from the north and south corporations' headquarters, Civic Centre, on Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg, at Turkman Gate, one found a huge garbage dump with the waste spilling on to the road. "It is a shame that the corporation has failed to clean the area visible from its own office. In the past one month, hardly anyone has been seen cleaning the area," said Ramesh Babbar, a local trader.

Across the city, on CV Raman Road, outside New Friends Colony, there is a huge garbage pile. The residents have complained to the corporation several times since during peak traffic hours, this stretch becomes a bottleneck. "Never are the bins placed on the road clean. From the dhalao, garbage spills on to the road," complained Madhu Arora, a resident living just across the road.

Similarly, in Lajpat Nagar-I's B-block, just outside a government school, garbage has remained dumped for days. Several complaints have been made but to no avail. "From the school principal to parents, everyone has complained about the heap of garbage outside the school. It is very difficult for the girls to pass through this stretch. The stench is overpowering, especially during monsoon, and diseases are rampant in the area. The lane is narrow and the parked cars and garbage ensure that it remains blocked," said area councillor Abhishek Dutt.

Across the river, near Laxmi Nagar's V3S mall, the story is no different. There is a dhalao virtually in the middle of the road and the garbage spills out, making the space even narrower. With massive gridlocks during peak traffic hours, it is a nightmare for commuters. "With shops and a mall nearby, there are cars parked on the road, and the dhalao only adds to the chaos. It's a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and for pedestrians, it's a nightmare. But the corporation isn't doing anything despite several complaints," said BS Vohra of East Delhi RWA's Federation.

But corporation officials are patting themselves on the back. A rally of school children was organized by North Delhi Municipal Corporation for City Zone on Tuesday to create awareness about sanitation, health and hygiene. "From every zone we are removing around 150 metric tonnes more than usual. On an average, Delhi produces 7000 metric tonne of waste everyday, but for the past one week, we are removing more than 9000 metric tonnes," said Mukesh Yadav, south corporation's spokesperson.

with thanks : Times of India : LINK