GHMC litter-free drive goes haywire

Rajendranagar: All efforts to streamline garbage collection by the GHMC Rajendranagar circle are terribly going haywire due to clumsy and unorganised disposal of garbage. This littering is turning waysides and thoroughfares into unpleasant scenes around the area.

Residents wonder why the places which are cleaned up are returning to its normal state within a few hours. While the citizens are pointing fingers at the sanitation wing for not collecting the trash regularly, the latter are attributing the situation to messy and disorderly waste disposal by the people themselves.

But the question arises why the GHMC is not able to enforce its rules stringently and whom the people should turn to, for this sorry state of affairs. The people cannot entirely escape blame on their part, though.

"Neither the citizens are sincere in keeping their surroundings completely litter-free nor are the officials determined in stringently enforcing civic laws to prevent the same. Both are just persisting with their routine practices, throwing all civic body's efforts into disarray.

Even after bringing the matter more than once to the notice of officials concerned, no heed is being paid. Garbage containers are continuing to overflow and stink emanates from the trash making it difficult for the people living nearby," said Mohammed Jahingir, Area Sabha Member (Hasan Nagar).

Obviously its 'two to tango,' feels Jahangir, who points out that when it comes to maintaining sanitation in the respective areas by GHMC officials in general and the citizens in particular, ways must be found to discourage public from throwing their litter about public places, while the officials should face action for not removing garbage regularly and mounting an awareness drive among the people to sensitise them to segregate and use the respective garbage bins.

It is widely believed that a 'carrot and stick' method will play a more productive role in maintaining accountability and helps commoners in adhering to the set laws.

"It is widely published in the media and the social media platforms as well that the GHMC is holding special sanitation drives in the month of Ramzan and an additional number of vehicles are employed to collect the trash from every locality. However, the actual reality is other way around, with no garbage collection being carried out timely and on daily basis, resulting in the overflowing of trash containers.