Foul smell, stolen taps, waste strewn around at bus stand

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 22

Travelling by a bus may be a modest idea these days but the inconvenience and obnoxious smells that come in your way at the bus stand makes it an experience you would definitely avoid in future.

The reek emanating from washrooms, broken or stolen taps, potholed roads and passages, waste strewn all over would encounter you and attack your senses.

While the new bus stand, planned to come up near Bibiwala Chowk, on the outskirts of the city, is yet to get all permissions required, the existing one is falling apart under blatant neglect of the authorities.

Even as thousands of passengers visit the bus stand every day, the authorities have been unable to provide basic civic amenities.

Two of the public utilities which are a prerequisite to handle such a big footfall of passengers are – washrooms and potable water – which are in poor condition at the bus stand.

“Taps are missing from the water counter. Pipes have been plugged with corn-cobs, empty water bottles, pebbles, pieces of cloth and polythene bags. Anti-social elements take away whatever they can sell in the market,” said Shivram Sharma, a school teacher and a resident of Nai Basti, who takes a bus from here every day to go to his school at Deon.

“The stench emanating from the toilets at the bus stand points to the mess that the place is in. Although the toilets are cleaned at least twice a day, it doesn’t seem to be enough since the number of passengers coming to the bus stand is huge,” said a PRTC bus conductor.

The work of maintaining cleanliness at the bus stand is in the hands of Sulabh Company.

PRTC general manager at the bus stand, Harbans Singh, said workers of Sulabh Company were engaged in cleaning the place dedicatedly.

“Sulabh Company employees are cleaning the place throughout the day. The bus stand is old and slowly getting smaller for the increasing number of passengers and buses. The public must also shoulder a part of the responsibility of keeping the place clean and do their bit by not throwing waste around,” he said.

He added that the authorities repeatedly replaced the broken taps but they were stolen every time.

“The authorities are doing what can be done but the anti-social elements mar their efforts. As for the complaints pertaining to the buses of private transport companies blocking the entrance of the bus stand while picking passengers, we regularly keep a check on such drivers and direct them to adhere to the rules,” he said.