The cleanliness drive in the Umerkote Municipality is allegedly nothing more than an eyewash, as no work has been done on ground. Garbage piling up on the roads and overflowing drains reflect the sorry state of affairs on the sanitation front in the town.
Though the municipality privatized the sanitation service a year ago, there has been no change in the civic condition. Reports reveal that the municipality spends Rs 18 lakh per month for sanitation, but it seems only in pen and paper. The municipal authorities have never conducted any surprise checks to bring errant contractors to book.
The organic dumps not only attract flies but also turn into a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The drains and the surrounding area adjacent to Gulipatna, Sontosi Nagar, Old Bus Stand and Bhanja Chowk are only a few examples of poor sanitation of the civic body. Crores of rupees have gone down the drain in the name of improving civic facilities and development, residents alleged.
Most roads in the town have developed cracks and potholes within six months of being renovated. A major portion of the town has no streetlights; as a result, people feel unsafe after dusk. Large scale irregularities have been reported in the works allotted to SHGs, SDA and MUKTA Yojana and prevailing PC factor in the Municipality Office spoils all the developmental works of the town, alleged Parsuram Patro a resident of the town. He further demanded a Vigilance inquiry into the alleged corruption in the municipality.
There is a public perception that all the grants that come from the Ministry of Urban Development Department of both the State and the Centre under sanitation and urbanization development programme to the municipality should be released only after high power teams inspect sanitation of different wards including functionality of drains.