At a time when the state government has lifted curfew and people have started thronging Ludhiana markets, sanitisation drive was missing in the city.
Ludhiana municipal corporation had deployed nine machines, including two fire tenders, to disinfect the main roads of the city in April first week, however, now when most of the sectors had been opened, no machine could be seen on the main roads.
Chaura Bazar, Saban Bazar, electronics market and other areas have been witnessing huge rush of visitors. The movement of migrant workers has also increased and labourers in large numbers could be seen at railway station road, Giaspura, Focal Point, Tajpur rod and other areas.
In several wards of the city, sanitisation drive of the internal streets has also come to a halt. Ludhiana mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said that two backpack machines were given to each councillor of the city to undertake disinfection drive.
Leader of opposition in the general house of municipal corporation and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) councillor, Harbhajan Singh Dang, said, “Disinfection drive was being done in his ward until two weeks back, but since then no MC employee has turned up for the job.”
SAD councilor, ward number 17, Jasmeet Kaur, said that the civic body adopts lackadaisical approach when it comes to disinfecting the city roads. “Not even handy backpack machines were provided to me and threat of residents getting infected with Covid-19 looms large over them. The civic body should have rather intensified the sanitisation drive when the markets were witnessing huge rush,” said Kaur, adding that many councillors are forced to use their own machinery and money for sanitising their wards.
{{/usCountry}}SAD councilor, ward number 17, Jasmeet Kaur, said that the civic body adopts lackadaisical approach when it comes to disinfecting the city roads. “Not even handy backpack machines were provided to me and threat of residents getting infected with Covid-19 looms large over them. The civic body should have rather intensified the sanitisation drive when the markets were witnessing huge rush,” said Kaur, adding that many councillors are forced to use their own machinery and money for sanitising their wards.
{{/usCountry}}A MC employee, requesting anonymity, said the drive was stopped since the state government lifted the curfew on May 17. “The MC employees were facing problem in disinfecting the roads owing to large number of people thronging the market places. We cannot spray chemical on them. The officials were planning to take up the disinfection process during night hours or early morning hours, however, no final decision has been taken in this regard so far,” he added.
Krishma, a resident of BRS Nagar, E-block, said, “MC employees were disinfecting the internal roads and entry gates of the houses in April, but the drive had been put to a halt for a long time now. Sanitisation process should be taken up on regular basis, especially in the internal areas to stop the spread of the virus.”