Day after Rose Festival, litter spoils Swachh status

Chandigarh may have achieved the second spot in the “Swachh Survekshan-2016” conducted by the Union ministry of urban development, but it seems the municipal corporation and city residents still need to learn a lot when it comes to maintaining cleanliness.

Chandigarh may have achieved the second spot in the “Swachh Survekshan-2016” conducted by the Union ministry of urban development, but it seems the municipal corporation and city residents still need to learn a lot when it comes to maintaining cleanliness.

Litter strewn along the ‘choe’ running through Rose Garden in Chandigarh on Monday. (Karun Sharma/ HT)

An evident example of the lack of residents’ civic sense was on display a day after Rose Festival concluded at Rose Garden in Sector 16. A visit to the garden revealed that how garbage had been left in heaps right next to the spot where a food corner was set up after a long time. Although, for the past decade, food stalls had been shifted to the Leisure Valley in Sector 10, this year visitors got a chance to enjoy eatables while remaining in the garden. However, they left behind disposable plates and cups besides other packaging material strewn all around.

Even some of the rose beds were not spared of wrappers of potato wafers and sweets. The MC functionaries had introduced the food counters near the “choe” running through the garden. The “choe” too was littered with tetra packs and wrappers. However, the sanitation staff was quick enough to clean the bins at the garden.

Aruna Kaushik, a regularly comes for a morning walk at Rose Garden, said: “The part of the garden where the food stalls were set up was completely littered. Also, nauseating smell was emanating from there. The authorities should ensure the area is cleaned properly during and after such events.”