A good initiative gone wrong

Islamabad : In a previous city diary a few weeks ago it was mentioned that finally residents of New Lalazar were going to see the last of the eyesore that greets one on entering the colony -- a huge mound of garbage! This matter had been the subject of numerous articles over time and it was thought that finally something was being done about it and a new location would be found for the garbage, as the contractor working in the area had stated.

Alas! It seems the authorities have given a ‘hands up’ to the situation. Either they cannot find an alternate site or the task is too difficult, so this one is being revamped. Knowing this would be a problem, it had been suggested a number of times that a wall be built along the road so that the garbage remained contained behind it and was not visible or at least did not spill onto the road.

The suggestion has eventually been taken up but in the wrong manner. A failed method has been used again. The present wall of the ‘container’ is too high; it is open from one side and allows the garbage to be seen – so the problem has not been solved. Our people are not civic minded enough to take the trouble to throw their garbage inside the container - even those who dispose of trash from vehicles just fling it out and couldn’t care less where it lands. What makes the situation worse is the fact that scavengers also indiscriminately throw out garbage from bags to pick and choose what can be recycled. Just look at the picture and you can see the end result of the recent activity.

The wall should have been just about two feet high for easy garbage removal by CB vehicles; it should have been built along the road between two streets that flank the site along the main road, in this way encompassing the garbage plot.

The stench; disease breeding aspect and to some extent the eyesore will remain but at least the road will be clean and garbage not spread by the vehicles that ply along this road.

It is still not too late to make amends. Work is still going on to spruce up the area; drains are being repaired and covered; potholes filled etc: though it seems to be at a standstill these days for some reason. Is anyone listening?