With Ramzan set to start from Saturday, residents from a large number of areas in the old city complained that debris, branches of trees and garbage is not being cleared on a regular basis from lanes and bylanes despite tall claims by the GHMC of intensifying its debris and garbage clearance efforts during the fasting month.
With rains lashing the city, the pile of garbage on the roads is not only raising unbearable stink, but also is flowing into the drains with rain water and choking the drains. The weeds that were cleared from the graveyard of Masjid-e-Takiya Zahoor Shah a month back for Shab-e-Baraat, the night of vigil, have been dumped at the entrance of the mosque and was not cleared until Thursday.
“Locals set fire to the branches fallen on the roa-ds on Friday as GHMC wo-rkers have not showed up for a month. Since GHMC officials are not responding to complaints, citizens are forced to clear the garbage and debris from lanes and bylanes on their own. It has been over two months since the internal roads in our colony were swept,” said Mohammed Shaji Ahmed, a resident of Syed Ali Chabutra.
Locals said neither officials nor the local corporator has responded to their complaints. “The requirement in our lane is for two bins, but the only available bin overflows and garbage spills on the roads. It is a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” said Qudsia Beg-um, Ghazi Bandi resident.
Several Moghulpura residents complained about two overflowing garbage bins in the locality. “There is a huge water tank 10 feet away from this bin, a mosque 20 feet away and a school 15 feet away. Milk and curd shops, chicken and mutton stalls are located near these bins. The GHMC should relocate the bins,”said Jabbar Khan, a resident.
The situation is similar in places like Hussaini Alam, Bhavani Nagar, Falaknuma, Shah Inayat Gunj and Shamsheergunj.