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Gomtinagar arson case: In ‘city of manners’, unruly neighbours and nuisance complaints on rise
In Rajendra Nagar, a family is forced to inhale toxic fumes as the people next door often burn rubber and tyres to keep themselves warm.
LUCKNOW The world-renowned ‘pehle aap’ culture of Lucknow -- reflective of the manners of its residents -- seems to be going for a toss. The recent arson case in Gomti Nagar, where a group of hotel staffers set the car of an Army Major on fire just because he asked them to turn down the music after the permissible time limit, may be a shocker to many but several others sidestep such situations silently almost every day.
In Rajendra Nagar, a family is forced to inhale toxic fumes as the people next door often burn rubber and tyres to keep themselves warm. “The temperatures have dropped significantly and we understand that people would want to keep themselves warm. However, our neighbours burn rubber, tyres, and other such inorganic stuff which emanates toxic fumes. It has become difficult to even breathe,” said an area resident while pointing out the proximity of the errant house owners to a school.
When asked on the issue, Sanjeev Pradhan, environment engineer at Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC), said, “Such acts pollute the environment. People can make videos and give them to police and pollution control board for action.”
In a similar vein, High Court lawyer Ambarish Rai said, “The National Green Tribunal has banned unregulated burning in the open. A fine of ₹25,000 can be levied for such acts and FIRs can also be filed under section 278 of the IPC for creating health and environment hazards despite a warning.”
However, officials pointed out that they haven’t received any such complaints. “Maybe, the people aren’t aware of the laws or they feel that they won’t have the time to pursue the case, which may turn out to be a long-drawn affair,” said officials.
In another such case of inconsiderate neighbours, residents of a locality are frustrated with pet owners who come out with their canines for a walk every morning but take no responsibility for the dog poop strewn on the road thereafter. “These people are so-called animal lovers but their love is limited to feeding the animal. They don’t give toilet training to their pets and as a result, our streets and roads become unclean,” said Prabhat Kumar Upadhyaya, a senior High Court lawyer, who opines that several people don’t lodge complaints due to their lack of awareness. “Not many people know the IPC provisions. Being aware of the law is a must,” he added.
A serving bureaucrat, who lived in Dalibagh till recently, had a similar concern. Every now and then, someone would park his four-wheeler outside his residence. “My kids would often get late for school because my neighbours parked their vehicle right outside my house. They would return to their house in an inebriated state late at night and park callously,” said the bureaucrat requesting anonymity. The officer added, “I am aware of my rights but we don’t have time to engage with rich brats behaving carelessly.”
In Dalibagh and Nazarbagh areas, families have reported unruly neighbours and their kids breaking car window panes. In some cases, people have reported their neighbours for staining walls with paan spits. “If you can prove who caused the trouble, the guilty will be punished under the law,” said Ambarish Rai.
