At the Haripur village in the middle of the city in Sector 4, the problem of cleanliness seems to be one of attitude with residents themselves indifferent to its importance.
School and Garbage dump coexist
Cow dung and garbage is dumped at the entrance to the village and the worst sufferer, ironically, is the lone government school, where the dump yard of the village has also been stationed for many years now.
The school cannot even open the windows of its mid-day meal kitchen due to the stink or the fear of animals.
“We have written to senior officers about the problem, but nothing changes. Every officer inspects the problem and then lets the issue rest,” says Kamlesh Kumari, headmistress of the school.
Strike has exacerbated matters
A vehicle of the municipal corporation comes and transfers this garbage and cow dung to the dumping yard in Sector 23. However, for the last two days, garbage has not been lifted as the MC sanitation workers are on strike.
The school had also organised a rally in the village to sensitise villagers on not dumping garbage outside the gate, but they ended up being threatened that more such events would lead to dumping of garbage on the school premises.
{{/usCountry}}The school had also organised a rally in the village to sensitise villagers on not dumping garbage outside the gate, but they ended up being threatened that more such events would lead to dumping of garbage on the school premises.
{{/usCountry}}Problem areas within the village
Around the narrow–laned village are residential houses and market. Some house owners also own and keep cattle and this is the source of cow dung and litter that dots the streets.
In street number 12, huge mounds of garbage lay dumped.
Waste water disposal is also a problem with it being released directly into the streets from the houses.
At the other end of the street, there is huge mound of cow dung in a plot. “The owner does not think that dumping cow dung is bad. We have to bear the stink and the flies and he does not care,” said a village resident.
When contacted MC executive officer SK Chauhan who has recently joined, said, “If there is a dump yard outside the school, we will take steps to shift it.”
“The villagers are part of the problem. During a recent cleanliness drive, villagers continued to litter and that too outside the school. There have been clashes over the issue,” said Haripur councillor Mamta Mittal.