E-Paper
Parks turned into dump sites in ward 22 of Chandigarh
The ward, comprising Sectors 31, 32 and 33, has enough public parks but most of these are not well-maintained.
Like most urban areas, residents living in ward 22 of Chandigarh municipal corporation also have a plethora of complaints, including lack of cleanliness, choked sewers and inadequate parking space, but their pet peeve is parks being turned into dumping grounds.
The ward, comprising Sectors 31, 32 and 33, has enough public parks but most of these are not well-maintained.
Sector 31 was earlier part of ward 22 while Sector 32 was in ward 21 and Sector 33 was in ward 16. Sector 31 is largely maintained by the Indian Air Force. Though the sector has approximately 2,000 voters, MC has very little role in its maintenance. Residents of the other two sectors say councillors of their wards are mostly inaccessible and least concerned about the problems of the area.
Jagdish Singh Sarpal, president, residents’ welfare association (RWA), Sector 33, says, “Our sector has at least four dirty spots. These areas were earmarked as parks or were vacant plots, but have turned into dumping grounds over the years. Sweepers too dump the garbage picked from roadside here. Residents add to the mounting garbage pile by discarding construction waste even even as the municipal corporation officials turn a blind eye to it.”
He added that some people have even illegally encroached upon some areas in public parks, leading to inconvenience for residents.
Paras Kumar Goyal, vice-president, RWA, Sector 32, says, “Though Sector 32 has enough facilities, it needs better maintenance. Door-to-door garbage collection in the area is irregular and garbage collectors sometimes skip going up to the first and second floors, due to which elderly residents face inconvenience. We want the next councillor to look into all these issues and also bring development projects.”
Residents add that sewer lines also need cleaning, as most of these are choked. Green belts are in need of immediate pruning, and facilities such as public toilets and drinking water facilities also need upgrade.
Ashwani Kumar Khanna, president, market welfare association, Sector 32, said, “The biggest issue being faced by people of ward number 22 is that of inadequate parking space. The markets have haphazard parking facilities due to which these remain jam-packed with vehicles. MC must bring multi-level parking so that the issue can be resolved. The new councillor must interact with the public so as to get an idea about what residents actually want.”
Know your ward
Localities: Sector 31, 32 and 33
Reserved for women
Voters: 20,000
Key Issues:
• Choked sewers, poor sanitation and garbage dumped on roads
• No parking space in markets
• Public facilities like parks, toilets need regular maintenance
Local voices:
The ward has inadequate parking spaces, especially in markets. The MC must construct multi-level parking on vacant plots to ease the problem.
Ashwani Kumar Khanna, president, market welfare association, Sector 32.
Sector 33 has at least four ‘dirty spots’. These areas are parks and vacant plots, which are now being used as dumping grounds. Even MC sweepers dump garbage here.
Jagdish Singh Sarpal, president, resident welfare association (RWA), Sector 33.
Roads plunge into darkness in the evening hours as streetlights are out of order. Also, the market lacks parking space. Rajdev Gupta, resident, Sector 32
Door-to-door garbage collection in the area is not up-to-the mark. Also, sweepers don’t clean the roads and inside lanes properly, resulting in heaps of garbage on roadsides.
Narinder Sharma, resident, Sector 33.
