Fed up with open dumping of garbage, residents of Street 5 in Dhai Marla Colony (near Daresi) have started keeping vigil at night to stop people from throwing waste at the entry point of the street.
Apart from being an eyesore, foul smell emanating from the accumulated garbage had become a nuisance for locals. Taking matters in their own hands, locals have cleaned the street and planted saplings in a bid to beautify the area.
The residents have been guarding the street against litterers in two-hour shifts since July 14. Aware that residents from surrounding areas dump their garbage at the entry point of the street late at night and early in the morning, residents keep vigil in shifts from 8pm to 1am and 3am to 7am.
Residents say a garbage dump had been there at the site for over three decades and despite lodging multiple complaints with the municipal corporation (MC), no relief was provided. The situation deteriorated during the lockdown and the monsoon season. Therefore, residents decided to take action on their own.
One of the residents, Vinay, said, “The stench emanating from the site was unbearable. On July 13, a few residents dumped animal waste in the area, which exacerbated the situation.”
{{/usCountry}}One of the residents, Vinay, said, “The stench emanating from the site was unbearable. On July 13, a few residents dumped animal waste in the area, which exacerbated the situation.”
{{/usCountry}}Residents say a temple and the SDP College for Women were situated a few metres away but nothing was done to rectify the situation. “Some locals dump waste in the open to avoid paying charges for door-to-door collection of garbage,” he said.
“RESIDENTS HEALTH COMPROMISED’
A resident, Som Nath, said,”It was shocking to see the residents dump waste in the open at 3am . We requested them to stop this practice. The health of many residents was being affected. Few residents remained adamant but eventually we were able to get the area cleaned.”
Residents, Bittu Gaba, Ram Lubhaya, Raj Kumar, Sunny and Rajesh Verma, said after getting the area cleaned they had spent ₹15,000 on beautification of the area. MC supervisor Dhawal Sarswal and area councillor Prabhjot Kaur’s husband Amrik Singh also supported the residents.
Councillor Prabhjot Kaur’s husband, Amrik Singh Bhola, said, “The A2Z company has been deputed for door-to-door collection of garbage and a warning has also been issued to residents. The MC supervisor also sat on guard with the residents to stop people from dumping garbage at the point.”