Despite tall claims of the Government to convert Ranchi and two other cities of the State as Smart Cities with world class facilities, the heart of the city portrays a terrible picture, especially when it comes to waste management. Perhaps, one of the oldest areas of the city — lalpur, including Upper and lower Burdwan Compound and KC Memorial Hospital — gives a gloomy picture for a newcomer in the city.
Heaps of garbage, choked drains and pool of filthy water on the busy Circular Road is a common site in the area, especially when it rains. The garbage is improperly dumped due to which many people across these areas are facing health problem and it is also affecting the environment.
“The garbage collectors do not come regularly and the lanes in Burdwan compound are also not cleaned, due to which drainage lines are blocked. It is difficult to cross the road as the water flows in the road along with waste product,” said Sanjeev Das, owner of Shoe Shop at lalpur.
Garbage lying on the road not only creates problems for the people to cross the road but also giving rise to several health issues.
Nikhil Bandhu Roy, owner of Medical Shop said, “I stay at Burdwan Compound, where the RMC folks are rarely visible. Choked drains and filthy water is giving rise to mosquitoes and flies.”
Similarly, Veena Sharma, a homemaker said, “The bins are always full of waste and spread all over the road which is giving birth to flies and diseases. It is difficult to inhale because of horrible smell of the waste product.”
The area near lalpur Chowk, Burdwan Compound and KC Memorial Hospital, the garbage bin are overloaded with all kinds of waste that is often split on the roads due to stray cattle and dogs
Annoyed with the situation the local residents have started taking their own precautionary measures. “In order to save the people from disease, we have separate polybag of different colours in which the waste are kept. The municipality, biomedical and generic laboratory vehicle comes regularly to collect the pharmaceutical waste and other kind of waste,” said Manoj Kumar Mukherjee, Manager Accounts at K C Roy Memorial Hospital.
The authorities, however, have some assurance for the people living in the area. Sanjeev Vijayvargiya, Deputy Mayor of RMC said, “We are planning to install new bins in the city as it is less in number. The supervisors from Municipal Corporation and ward counselor are looking towards the matter seriously and making effort to clean these areas at regular interval of time.”