Patna Municipal Corp asked by HC to to clean drains, install trash bins

PATNA: The state capital is one of those cities wont to seeing promontories of garbage on roads. But here’s some good news from the civic bosses.

Patna High Court on April 26, in reply to a PIL, issued a directive to Patna Municipal Corporation to get sewer lines, drains and manholes cleaned. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Mishra and Justice Mihir Kumar also directed the civic agency to put dustbins across the city for collection of garbage. The bench also asked PMC to take action against those found throwing garbage and polythene bags on the road. In another ruling, the court asked PMC to clear remains of dead animals and carcasses from residential areas.

According to PMC commissioner Shridhar Chiruvolu, the civic body has taken up the issue of solid waste management “quite seriously”. “We have begun the process by entering into an agreement with A to Z Private Limited Company. In the first phase, nine wards under Nutan Anchal Area or New Patna under PMC and main roads of the city have been selected for the clean-up drive,” he said.

Two areas of garbage cleaning will get a thrust: door-to-door collection from individual households and transportation and dumping of wastes in Ramachak. “We are finalising the terms of the tender. The cleanliness drive will spread to other parts of the city in the second phase,” he said.

Krishna Narayanan, resident of Polo Road, was all smiles. “It’s such a pleasure to see the ground outside our house, that used to be a dumping ground, clean. Children even play cricket here over weekends,” said Krishna.

However, a senior bureaucrat residing in the same area, had a suggestion, “More waste bins should be put up on Polo Road and off-Polo Road,” he said.

Areas, where the cleaning process is already under way, are VIP neighbourhoods housing residences of the chief minister, ministers, MLAs, judges and senior bureaucrats.

Kankerbagh, Patna City, Rajendra Nagar, Mithapur and Mussalapur Haat, however, remain as dirty as ever. There are open drains, waste from households find their way directly to roads, meat is sold openly in places like Boring Road and Raja Bazar and defecation in public are regular civic eyesores.

Kankerbagh businessman Anup Shrivastava pointed out his family’s suffering, “The stench is sickening. There is a huge garbage dump where my son’s school bus halts. Crows and dogs add to our woes by rummaging this waste.”

According to S C Singh, chairman, Bihar State Pollution Control Board, garbage disposal creates health hazards. As per the board’s guideline, garbage should be dumped in the pit and covered. But nothing of that nature happens in the city.

“We have started a concerted effort through the media to create awareness about civic sense and to discourage people from polluting their localities,” he added.