While the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun is undertaking special sanitisation campaign to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the locals of Adhoiwala area allege that sanitation workers throw the garbage cleared off roads and drains in the open area near the Rispana river.
Several locals of Bhagat Singh Colony in Adhoiwala area averred that the sanitation workers regularly unload their carts filled with garbage near the dry and dirty Rispana river. This garbage causes mosquitoes, foul smell and several animals also eat the plastics that may cause their deaths too, said the locals. "This place has become like a temporary dumping ground for sanitation workers. They dump all the garbage here and then after one or two days, the garbage collection vehicle from MCD picks up the trash. However, after a few hours, workers dump the garbage and the cycle is repeated on and on," said Badri Prasad Singh, a local resident. "To some people, it might seem like just two days’ untreated garbage lying around here but during the time when the garbage lies here, the cows and bulls try to eat from the trash. I have seen many cows chewing plastics in an attempt to eat what's inside them. Dogs also spread the litter everywhere on the road and gradually several pigs too gather around and lie on it. The administration be careful about it, at least during the threat of COVID-19 when the hygiene is so important, "added another local resident Beena Singh. According to some locals, sometimes the garbage lies there all week and sanitation workers keep piling up the trash at the site.
On being asked about this situation, the councillor of Bhagat Singh Colony, Iliyas Ansari said that the said place is used by sanitation workers to dump all the trash so that municipal corporation can pick all the garbage from one place at once.
He further added, "What can I do? There might be some trivial issues for few hours but the municipal corporation regularly picks the garbage from there."
Concerning this, the officials of municipal corporation said that people can complaint to the municipal corporation on its toll free number if they have any issue with the garbage or sanitation workers.