If the Amritsar municipal corporation authorities fail to act soon, the night sanitation project of the MC could end up being listed among the civic body's failed projects. This is because the contract of the Chandigarh-based firm that was handling the night sanitation project has expired after a year and the MC authorities are yet to take a decision.
After the failure of the solid waste management project, which failed after the company handling it pulled out of its contract with the MC, the sanitation scenario in Amritsar is nothing to write home about. This is regardless of the fact that the city witnesses immense rush of tourists and devotees on a daily basis. The city daily produces 500 tonnes of garbage.
Despite the MC's claims of lifting the garbage daily, stinking piles of filth can be seen in almost every nook and corner. Night sanitation, which was introduced in the city in August last with a view to cleaning the streets of areas in the vicinity of the Golden Temple considering the fact that a number of devotees visited the shrine early in the morning to pay obeisance, was expected to offer some relief from the prevailing unsanitary conditions.
The idea behind the project was to clean the main approach roads in the walled city area that lead to the Golden Temple to ensure that the devotees who come to pay obeisance early in the morning do not face any problem because of the garbage heaps. A time table was chalked out for this purpose as per which night sanitation was to be conducted from 9 pm to 5 am. Forty sanitation workers and four tractor trolleys were deployed for this purpose.
{{/usCountry}}The idea behind the project was to clean the main approach roads in the walled city area that lead to the Golden Temple to ensure that the devotees who come to pay obeisance early in the morning do not face any problem because of the garbage heaps. A time table was chalked out for this purpose as per which night sanitation was to be conducted from 9 pm to 5 am. Forty sanitation workers and four tractor trolleys were deployed for this purpose.
{{/usCountry}}Four routes were chalked out -- from Hall Gate to Golden Temple via Hathi Chowk, Ghanta Ghar Chowk to Mai Sewa Bazaar, covering the entire Galliara area, Ghanta Ghar Chowk to Sikandri Gate and from Baba Atal Rai Gurdwara to Gurdwara Shaheedan. The project cost was estimated at Rs 54 lakh.
However, contrary to the expectations, after the initial few days, the project failed due to the paucity of staff and lack of interest among the officials concerned and the public.
According to the MC officials, the contract of the firm undertaking the night sanitation project was to expire in August.
"It stands expired for now," mayor Bakshi Ram Arora said, adding that the MC proposed to call fresh tenders. "I have asked for the file. I will go through it and decide what needs to be done," he said.