PILES OF GARBAGE AT DIFFERENT INTERSECTIONS OF THE ARA TOWN

PILES OF GARBAGE AT DIFFERENT INTERSECTIONS OF THE ARA TOWN

22-SEP-ENG 3

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------The Ara Municipal Corporation (AMC) issued direction for the residents of Ara in the year 2019 regarding the cleanliness of the town and instructed that no one will throw any garbage on the road and will throw it in the dust bin fixed for it only. And if anyone do not do so, will be slapped a fine of Rs. 500. Although this improved the situation a little but within a few days, everything went haywire. The AMC is not only following its prescribed duties on the contrary, it is teaching the citizens a lesson in duty by giving orders. To keep the town clean, the AMC put up boards at many places at Ara with the orders and provision of penalty but it had little impact and after some time, garbage was spread everywhere on the roads.

The AMC does not consider if as its duty to collect the garbage. Even if garbage is collected, it is inadequate. Though the AMC has made provision of penalty of Rs. 500 for throwing garbage on roads, but no financial penalty has been imposed on any person so far. The AMC itself did not stick to its order. The sweepers of the AMC sweep the dirt into the drains and even the shopkeepers throw garbage into the drains causing chocking of drains but the AMC never takes pain to take action against them even after brought into notice.

The AMC placed big dust bins on the roadside at different places to keep the town clean. The residents of the town throw garbage in these dust bins but after the garbage is filed in the dust bins, the AMC does not pick it up and so people are forced to throw garbage outside the dust bins. Due to this, piles of filth and garbage are littered everywhere.

Besides, the AMC failed to aware the residents of the town of cleanliness of the town and educate them in this regard but the AMC failed in its utmost duty and never bothers to take initiative in this regard. The AMC has also fixed amount for this. Publicity is done through many mediums like putting up flex boards, organizing seminars and also through many other means but the AMC never performs its duties.

Again, there are still many houses in the AMC area where toilets have not been constructed and so the people are forced to defecate on the roadside in the open though the Ara has been declared ODF earlier. The AMC needs to build toilets first so that people are not forced to go out for loo. Recently, the AMC constructed public toilets at dozens of places at Ara are not maintained. These public toilets have no sufficient water in them and they are also not cleaned every day and even they miss electricity system and so people hesitate to use the public toilets.

The AMC never follows the rules to pick up those garbages lying on roadside. Garbage collection work is done mostly after 10am that affects the traffic a lot and create a jam like situation on the roads. As per the rules, the work of garbage collection is done at night. In the initial stage after formation of the AMC, garbage collection was done at night by Ramki an NGO appointed for garbage collection but now it is not being followed.

Residents of Ara said that after Indu Devi became Mayor of the AMC, they were hopeful that the scenario will change but it became all the more worse. Filth and garbage are piled almost everywhere and drain water liters on roads. The AMC is interested only raising the holding or property tax. They blamed that the Municipal Commissioner never take action on any complaint. They stated that people have encroached the roads at different places, hand pumps have been installed on roads itself and hoses have been built on the encroached roads itself.

The Municipal Commissioner, AMC, Neeraj Kumar Bhagat said that he is unware of the problem. The contribution of the residents is keeping the town neat and clean is important. The AMC is taking full action from its side so that the roads and drains can be cleaned.