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Panchkula community centres go from hubs of activity to junkyards
Discarded metal and construction work waste, parked garbage trucks at community centres leave Panchkula residents fuming
Far from fulfilling their purpose of providing room for celebration, some of the city’s community centres have the cause of residents experiencing sleepless nights over late-night commotion and living in fear of diseases stemming from uncleanliness.
Lily Bawa, former councillor who has served Sector 12 for two tenures, spoke of the poor state of her sector’s community centre, saying, “First they used it as a Covid centre, but now, they have converted it into a garbage store. We used to host events at the venue, resident meetings and celebrations.”
Dharminder Abrol, a resident of sector 12, added, “The MC trucks used to clean roads and collect garbage are parked at the centre. They return to the centre at around 4 am to 5 am and the noise has given us sleepless nights.”
“Overgrown grass, stagnant water has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. My child has got dengue because of this unhygienic neighbourhood,” he added, further highlighting health risks.
The community centre located in Sector 11, meanwhile, is covered in discarded metal junk and other material.
Area councillor Omwati Punia had raised the issue in the municipal corporation’s (MC) recent General House meeting and received an assurance by the mayor Kulbhushan Goyal that the junk would soon be auctioned and the area cleared.
Speaking of the centre’s current state, Punia said, “They have converted the community centre into a junkyard. Discarded iron materials like grills, broken gates and chairs are all dumped here.”
“The houses next to the community centre belong to officers who retired from high-ranking posts, and others are currently serving in senior positions. Now, they raise objections regarding such a junkyard in their sector,” she said, adding that the centre has become an eyesore.
Saying that sector residents have nowhere to turn to for hosting community events, Punia said, “The place could accommodate around 50 people for events, but the small space hall has been reduced further with the junk.”
Echoing the sentiment, an elderly resident said, “The administration has made it into a storehouse. Since, Covid, it has been simply reduced to a space for storing junk.”
Residents of Sector 15, meanwhile, continue their three-year-long wait for a community centre with citizen welfare association president SK Nayar saying, “Work to construct a community centre started around two years ago, but it is still not ready for use.”
