DESPITE SPENDING Rs. 6.80 CRORE, FILTH AND GARBAGE FILLS THE ARA TOWN

DESPITE SPENDING Rs. 6.80 CRORE, FILTH AND GARBAGE FILLS THE ARA TOWN

29-OCT-ENG 4

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA------------------------------At least Rs.6.80 crore is spent every month on cleaning of all the 45 wards under Ara Municipal Corporation and it means that Rs. 1.44 lakh is spent on cleaning of one ward but still a lot of filth and garbage spread in the different parts of Ara, headquarter of Bhojpur district but the Ara Municipal Corporation (AMC) is doing nothing in this regard. Dengue is wreaking havoc in the State and patients suffering from Dengue are being found every day. In such a situation, the AMC is waiting for whose orders. The residents of Ara are already facing a lot of problems due to scattered filth and garbage and also mosquitos breeding out of filth for years. Foul smell emitting from filth forced the residents of the areas to pass through the roads with handkerchief on their nose.  The residents are left on the mercy of God as the AMC has turned Nelson’s eye towards this problem.

Garbage remains scattered on roadsides at different places at Ara as it is not cleaned regularly and the AMC is flouting the Namami Gange Swachh Bharat Abhiyan of the Central Government and the Swachh Lohiya Abhiyan of the State Government. The situation has become alarming due to dust flying in the air due to movement of vehicles all the day long and residents of area are becoming prey of different diseases. It the roads are cleaned regularly and properly, there would not be so much dust and people would not have health problem. Besides, the AMC purchased fogging machines but they are getting rust as they are seldom used.

Filth and garbage poses threat to people on one hand while on the other, mosquitos are not letting people to rest in peace either inside their houses of outside. These mosquitos are cause of different diseases. People are panic even after the COVID 19 but the AMC has turned deaf ears to their pleas. The outbreak of mosquitos increases outside the houses from 5pm onwards.

Barring a few wards, sanitation drive is not being carried out properly in Wards. Ward Councilors consider their responsibilities complete y cleaning the wards once or twice a month. As a result, garbage remains scattered in different wards of the AMC. Every ward has been given at least 12 menial workers for cleaning the ward and a menial worker is paid up to Rs. 12000 per month while Rs. 1.44 lakh is spent per month on cleaning one ward. Despite, Sanitation system is in very poor condition.

Municipal Commissioner, AMC, Neeraj Kumar Bhagat said that cleaning and fogging is done and more fogging will be done as the need. He said that menial workers have been provided as per requirement shown by the Ward Councilors, still it will be investigated.