handle it all in one day due to shortage of staff and equipment. Sanitary workers are employed to sweep streets and are often hired by residents to provide a primary waste collection service. For few years private entrepreneurs mostly Afghan refugees have also entered into the field of waste collection, which is quite helpful as they have become a source of collecting garbage from households to ease the burden on sanitary staff of the municipal corporations.
But despite their efforts, different localities give an ugly look because of presence of garbage and waste materials. As there are no specific locations of dustbins, the residents of different localities use the corners of streets, empty places and even the roadsides to throw their kitchen waste and other rubbish. Sometimes this garbage is thrown into small drains completely choking them.
Though the cantonment board has employed sanitary workers for cleanliness of the streets, their number is not enough to cater to the needs of the areas. The responsibility also lies with residents of the localities to keep their surroundings clean. There is no denying the fact that the foul smell emanating from the garbage makes it difficult for the residents to breathe, whereas the dirt heaps also becomes breeding ground for dengue and other mosquitos’ larva.
The improper dumping of solid waste not only creates environmental problems but is also dangerous to human health as open dumping sites become nurseries for diseases and also a source of ground water contamination.
Haroon Abbas, a government employee, said that throwing garbage along a main road is a crime and action should be taken against those who dump waste here. He said that sanitary staff should also lift the garbage at earliest so that the people travelling on the main road and those living in the vicinity do not suffer.
Ali Nawaz, a student, said that the whole area was covered with stench coming from the garbage dump at the road. He said any delay in removing the garbage could lead to serious health hazards.
The residents of the Chur Chowk and its nearby localities have appealed to the concerned authorities to take serious notice of the situation and address the problem at the earliest possible time.