MC campaigns fail to prevent residents from dumping garbage on roadside

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 27

Notwithstanding claims of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) of successfully launching various campaigns and initiatives, including Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA), to make the winter capital clean, heaps of garbage still lie on roads in many areas of the city and its outskirts.

Having an estimated population of 15 lakh people, there are a total 71 wards which are being managed by the JMC. The issue of ever increasing garbage on the roadsides has never been properly tackled by the Municipal Corporation.

Sources said the dustbins being installed by the JMC at different locations across the city for the convenience of the residents were not enough. Solid waste of around 400 tonnes was being generated on daily basis in Jammu city.

“The awareness campaigns organised by the JMC to make the general public aware of the importance of cleanliness failed to yield any desired results. The dumping of garbage on the roadside despite availability of dustbins at the same place is the glaring example of poor civic sense among the residents who are also responsible to some extent for making the city dirty,” a source said.

“One such example is near Shastri Nagar wherein the JMC has placed a dustbin, but still the garbage is being dumped near it and not into it,” he added.

“At Dogra Chowk, near Jewel, one big dustbin has been placed by the JMC, but still the garbage is lying outside it. The JMC authorities, too, are not bothered about the prevailing mess. Garbage-free Jammu city is not possible unless there is proper coordination between the authorities and public of making concerted efforts. Unfortunately, both the government and public are not interested in making Jammu a clean city,” said Pawan Singh, a local resident.

“Another problem is that most of the dustbins are installed by the JMC on roadsides. The residents hesitate to put the garbage into them because of heavy vehicular traffic,” he maintained.

When contacted, JMC Joint Commissioner (Administration) RS Jamwal told The Tribune, “For the convenience of residents, dustbins are placed at different locations for collection of garbage.” When asked about the poor response to recently launched campaigns to make the public aware of cleanliness, the JMC Joint Commissioner said, “Campaigns do not work unless people take interest in making their surroundings clean.”