BIHAR MSW SITUATION

Hygiene lost in filth pile

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Garbage dumped in the open at Kanti Factory Road in Patna. Picture by Aarohi Keshav Patna, March 21: Potholes, garbage dumped on open land are common sights for residents of Kankerbagh who have been struggling to deal with the unhygienic living conditions for years. Amit Keshav, a resident of Kanti Factory Road area who owns a serviced apartment and caters to national and international clients, said: “We see a sheer negligence on the part of the municipal corporation. There is not only a lack of urgency, but also a lack of willingness to take up our problems seriously. Even the sewage system in the area does not function properly.” Keshav said he had visited the municipal office in the area several times. “We have been going to the municipal office in Agamkuan in the past three months. The employees of the corporation have shown little interest in cleaning the garbage. Each time we visit the municipal office we are told that machines are not working. It hardly makes a difference to the civic authorities that we are regular tax payers.” “I wrote a letter to the chief minister and got a positive response. The area was cleaned up. However, the problem returned after barely three months. To add to our problem are the potholes, which becomes a major reason for spread of several water-borne diseases,” Keshav said. Several colonies in the area do not have a garbage bin, which prompts residents to throw the garbage in the open. Sobha Devi, a resident of the area, was seen throwing wastes in the open. “What alternative do we have? We cannot store them in our homes. There is no place where we can throw the garbage,” she said. Shyam Kishore, executive officer at the municipal office in Kankerbagh, said: “We are working on the sewage problem. We hope to come to a solution within the next couple of months.” Afzal Imam, the mayor of the Patna municipal office, told The Telegraph: “The employees have gone on holiday. Once they return, we would start cleaning the area. In case of any urgent crisis, we would act promptly.”