Srinagar, Aug 23: At a time when the directorate of Health is asking people to take precautions in wake of “epidemic” in central Kashmir, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation here is sleeping over the issue as garbage heaps continue to pile on the city streets.
 Tons of mess Everyday Srinagar spews around 300 metric tons of garbage. But since June mid when Kashmir erupted in protests against killings of civilians, 63 till now, the SMC doesn’t lift the garbage on daily basis pleading failure on one or other pretext.
 As a result, the garbage heaps continue to mount for days together-putting the people to inconvenience. And given the ongoing summer,the stench has compounded the problem as there’s also a fear of outbreak of ailments like cholera, gastroenteritis and flu.
 The affected While the VIP routes like the plush Gupkar and the Airport Road are often kept clean, the scene is ugly elsewhere.
 Residents of civil lines areas like Jawahir Nagar, Wazir Bagh, Mehjoor Nagar, Rawalpora and Sanat Nagar said the garbage is cleared after three or four days.
 The problem is more so in congested areas of old city like Nowhatta, Gojawara, Nawa Kadal and Rainawari where the locals accuse the government of deliberately keeping the area filthy.
 Residents of old city said the garbage is lifted once a week. “Heaps of garbage are mounting on the streets but authorities are least bothered about our plight,” they said.
 “When roads leading to houses of ministers can be kept clean why not our areas?” they questioned. 

THE SATIRE
 For the past 2-months, the SMC has come under severe criticism for failing to keep the city clean.
 A fortnight ago, when garbage heaps piled unchecked on the Airport road during a weeklong curfew, policemen cleaned the track as VIPs driving down the road had complained of “shabby look” there.
 Following embarrassment the SMC resumed clearing the plush road.

GEELANI CONCERNED
 Aware of the sanitation problem, the chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani, whose conglomerate is spearheading the ongoing “Quit JK Movement”, had to intervene into the matter. He asked people to clean their vicinities on Sunday.
 Even though the voluntary sanitation drive was held in many areas the garbage collection points remained a problem.
 “We collected the garbage at one point. But from there it needs to be taken away which we cannot do,” said a group of youth at Hyderpora.

SMC EXCUSE
 Though the civic body claims that it has streamlined the sanitation operations on regular basis, it pleads the “deficiency in garbage lifting” saying “some areas are to sensitive to be reached during the tense situation.”
 “Many times our vehicles and men were attacked. We cannot work unless safe passage is given,” said a sanitation official requesting not to be named.
 “But now we lift the garbage on regular basis,” he added.
 Police on the other hand claims that it is providing all possible assistance to the corporation, provided its men work.
 Referring to the volatile old city and the road leading to the Achan dumping yard, police said the SP north City has kept “full security cover in place for the sanitation operations”.
 “Security is no problem, let the SMC people work,” said a senior police official.  

‘NEEDS GRILLING’
 Senior officials in Housing and Urban Development department said the SMC needs to be pulled up on the issue.
 “When other essential services like PDD and PHE don’t give any lame excuse and do their duties hassle-free. Why should we listen to the pleas of the SMC people,” argued a senior official in the H&UDD department.
 He said the H&UDD ministry should issue a notice to the SMC and seek an explanation from the corporation for its failure. 
 Pertinently, the SMC has come under criticism at the time when outbreak of a deadly water borne disease has reportedly claimed two lives and left over 700 ill in Budgam district.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST