Sanitation in a state of neglect in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi city residents have found better ways of garbage disposal. Dump the garbage on the spot, which has a board that reads, ‘Do not throw garbage here’. Do not blame them. The culprit is the lack of dustbins. That is making their life miserable.

“At present, we have no access to the door-to-door garbage collection scheme. Instead, we are used to ‘vacant spaces’. Since there are no dustbins, we throw garbage behind the board, as there is no other option. I hate doing this but that it is better than throwing it on the main road,” says Mohib Hussain, a resident of Saidpur Road.

“During last year we had no problems as civic body workers collected garbage from the doorstep. Now, this is not happening. Instead, we have to go behind our home where dustbins have been placed,” adds Mohib.

“We throw garbage either after 11 in the night or early in the morning because of the board here. We will follow the directives, provided the civic body places a few dustbins in our area. The ones already placed have been shifted to other streets. The civic body lorry has no fixed time to collect garbage lying around,” says Farhat Naqvi.

“Sanitation is in a state of neglect in many parts of the city. Complaints made by residents to the municipal council authorities fall on deaf ears. Employees responsible for sanitation work do not lift garbage regularly. Road sweeping in residential areas is not done on a regular basis,” says Safdar Ali.

“What to talk about the rest of the city, the open space in front of the office of the Municipal Corporation is not being cleaned on a regular basis. As the area, earmarked for a certain organisation building, is lying vacant, a garbage collection point has been set up here. Garbage is removed from this point on alternate days. The condition of sanitation in several areas is no better. Sweeping of roads is done only about three days in a month,” says Riffat Hussain.

“Sweepers have not lifted garbage from a collection point from the side of the Rawal Road and Sultanpura Chowk right in front of the mosque despite several complaints. The garbage collection point set up on the grounds behind Rawalpindi General Hospital also remains neglected. Garbage keeps lying there for days and is removed only after repeated requests,” says Ishtiaq Haider.