Student revellers take to streets, cleanliness goes for a toss

Countless flyers, pamphlets and stickers of various student parties were seen strewn all over the Panjab University campus as well as outside the 11 colleges where polling also took place.

When it comes to cleanliness on campus, student parties’ job seems to have ended at featuring it in their manifestos.

Supporters of Sahil Hartala throwing stickers after he won the student council elections at SD College, Sector 32, in Chandigarh on Friday. (Keshav Singh/HT)

On Friday, as polling for the student council elections ended at 11am, countless flyers, pamphlets and stickers of various student parties were seen strewn all over the campus as well as outside the 11 colleges where polling also took place.

“This happens every year during student elections. It’s a Herculean task to collect and clear the little stickers and flyers. They not only litter the roads, but also choke the road gullies,” said Amrit Pal Singh, medical officer, health and sanitation department, Chandigarh municipal corporation.

Vibha Pandey, who visited St John’s School to drop her son, was disappointed to see students’ scant regard for cleanliness outside the nearby Sri Guru Gobind Singh College in Sector 26.

“If the well-educated youth of the country are doing this, what can one expect from others. I request authorities to ban use of pamphlets in the future,” she said.

Environmentalist Pavella Bali said once the polls were over, no one took responsibility for the trash. “Heavy fines should be imposed on colleges whose students forget their duty. Student parties need to be mindful of keeping the city clean. The municipal corporation and college principals need to take action against the violators,” she said.