PESHAWAR: The Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) is facing the challenge of keeping the city clean by removing and disposing of the remains of sacrificial animals this Eidul Azha.
Though the newly established body has announced to run a three-day post-Eid cleanliness drive, the task of achieving this objective seems difficult keeping in view the poor performance of civic bodies of the provincial metropolis.
So far the WSSP staffers have focused attention on main roads and posh localities of the city as their presence in streets and small towns is almost invisible. Though it is true that the situation of cleanliness has improved to some extent in posh localities, the WSSP staff is yet to reach streets and mohallahs in congested areas like Gulbahar, Gulberg, Kohat Road, Faqirabad, Sethi Town, Swati Gate, Dilazak Road and interior city where garbage is removed by the residents themselves or they have to hire the services of private sweepers for removing and disposing of the garbage.
Encroachments on roads and streets and illegal digging of roads and erecting speed-breakers have further aggravated the problem in the absence of check from concerned institutions like the town and district administration.
A visit to main Gulberg road will testify how the local government institutions and administration fulfil their responsibilities. Half of the road has been occupied by construction material like bricks, steel rods, shingle and sand while the remaining portion is used for parking the vehicles of private schools, established in violation of rules and regulations. The concerned authorities have yet to take notice of opening of private schools and parking of vehicles on the road. No action is taken against those dumping construction material on the road or the illegal digging of road and erecting barricades.
Same is the situation in Swati Gate and other localities where a “free for all” situation has made life miserable for citizens and concerned government departments have failed to check the illegal activities. As the civic bodies of the provincial capital and the district administration have failed to ensure basic amenities to the residents, the WSSP could be the only ray of hope for the people who at least deserve provision of clean and neat environment if other facilities are not available.
Such a situation has increased the responsibilities of WSSP that has to reach each street and mohallah in its jurisdiction. As announced by its chief, the WSSP staff would have to ensure collection and disposal of the offal and other remains of sacrificial animals. It is hoped the awareness campaign regarding cleanliness would be a success story and residents would not witness garbage dumps in their localities like the past.
People of the provincial capital have pinned their hopes on the WSSP regarding the post-Eidul Azha cleanliness operation, which would be a test case for proving its efficiency.