Cleanliness drive gets derailed
THE FINANCIAL crisis in the Kanpur Municipal Corporation (KMC) has started taking its toll on the day to day work of the civic body.
The first to be hit was the cleanliness work, resulting in heaps of garbage lying in Jajmau and the entire south city on Friday. This situation cropped up when Jaswant Petrol Pump in Transport Nagar and Jagdamba Petrol pump in Jajmau refused to supply diesel to the rubbish disposal dumps of the KMC.
The KMC owes around Rs 6 crore to the petrol pumps but due to acute financial crisis, the civic body has not been able to clear its dues. All the 29 vehicles at the Fazalganj rubbish dump of the KMC were stranded due to non- availability of diesel. Jaswant Petrol Pump, which supplies diesel to the dump, refused further supply, as a consequence of which garbage could not be disposed of in the entire south city.
Similarly, all the 13 vehicles at the Jajmau rubbish dump also remained stranded as Jagdamba Petrol Pump refused to supply diesel to the rubbish depot due to non-payment of dues.
The situation could have worsened had the Satman Petrol Pump also refused to supply diesel to Bhagwat Das Ghat and Panki rubbish dumps of the KMC. Initially, the owner of this petrol pump also refused supply but later agreed on the assurance of Municipal Commissioner Badal Chatterjee..
At a time when dengue and viral fever are taking epidemic form, heaps of garbage lying in the entire southern part of the city and Jajmau pose a health hazard to the citizens.
{{/usCountry}}At a time when dengue and viral fever are taking epidemic form, heaps of garbage lying in the entire southern part of the city and Jajmau pose a health hazard to the citizens.
{{/usCountry}}Apart from this, fogging has also come to a standstill because of fiscal crunch.
Talking to Hindustan Times, Municipal Commissioner Badal Chatterjee said, ”A petrol pump owner has refused to supply diesel due to pending dues. Alternative arrangements are being made to ensure supply of diesel to all the rubbish dumps of the KMC.”
A senior KMC official informed that the two petrol pumps belonged to an MLA of the Samajwadi Party and he had outrightly refused to supply diesel to the KMC due to non-payment of dues.