JOIN USLike education, civic sense starts at home
Despite tall claims by the municipal corporations to make the city clean and set up world-class infrastructure, garbage collection and disposal have not improved in most parts of the Capital. The situation has not got better in the last five years in either south Delhi’s posh localities or unauthorised colonies in north and east Delhi.
Apart from indifference on the part of MCD officials, some residents and businesspeople are also the least concerned as they dump garbage — generated at their homes and commercial establishments — in public places and roadsides.
“Neither residents nor municipal corporation officials responsible for garbage disposal from dumping vats have civic sense. People throw garbage on the road outside the vats, and corporation workers just clear the vat, leaving garbage on the road,” says Greater Kailash resident Aparna Thomas.
Ayesha Siddiqui, a resident of Anandlok Society in Mayur Vihar Phase-I, says the problem of garbage disposal can only be solved if municipal corporation officials keep tabs on their employees entrusted to clear garbage vats daily. “Garbage disposal is not a problem in our locality as we have hired people to collect waste door-to-door. But it is not the case for people living in private buildings and localities,” she says.
“There is a vat outside our society complex that is not cleared daily. This makes the place unhygienic and the stench is sometimes difficult to bear. One has to pass by garbage dumps holding a handkerchief to the nose,” she adds.
The situation is similar in unauthorised colonies. Ravi Bhushan, resident of Burari in north Delhi, says auto tippers hired by the municipal corporation for door-to-door garbage collection are regularly seen dumping waste at a dhalao (garbage dump) on the main road near Burari police station. He says the stench from the dhalao inconveniences both passersby and nearby residents. “Despite repeated promises to make the Capital dhalao-free, the municipal corporation has done nothing,” says Bhushan.
Kalkaji resident Abhishek Mukherjee says the moment they step out of their area the stench of garbage welcomes them. “The authorities have built a garbage house to solve the issue, but they are yet to learn that garbage should be dumped inside the room and not on the roads,” he says.
“Garbage from nearby areas is also dumped here, and none of the officials and even the resident welfare association presidents are taking this issue seriously. If the situation continues, it can invite diseases as this has attracted a lot of stray dogs,” says Mukherjee.
Many roads across the city are dotted with debris and garbage. There seems to be a garbage dump on every road-end in many localities.