Improper disposal: Heaps of garbage irk Rawalpindi residents

Shazia Mehboob

It seems to be a herculean task for the residents of Rawalpindi’s low-lying areas to get relief from the foul smell emanating from heaps of garbage.

Heaps of garbage scattered in Arya Mohalla, Dhoke Elahi Bukush, Javed Colony, Nadeem Colony, Chaman Zar, and Waris Khan speak volumes about the careless behavior of Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) in these areas.

Garbage is not lifted for weeks, resulting into pathetic conditions, said Junaid, a resident of Arya Mohalla.

However, an official of RWMC said people too don’t show any civic sense and keep on throwing garbage in the open spaces adding to the unhygienic conditions.

The area’s residents are feared that the unhygienic conditions can cause dengue spread among the residents. There was no proper arrangement of cleanliness in place to prevent diseases, said Sajjad, a resident of Dhoke Elahi Bukush.

The wastage of buffaloes is producing mosquitoes abundantly in these localities and the threat of dengue looming in the areas, said Jhangir, a resident of Nadeem Colony, adding that buffaloes were a permanent threat and the health of the people was deteriorating day by day.

Javed Colony residents have demanded of the RWMC management to give due attention to the neglected areas. They also demanded strict action against the violators who are a health threat to the locality also.

This is not the only case such places as similar conditions prevail in many other areas of Rawalpindi district and garbage trucks are rarely seen there.

However, Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) on Thursday said 200,000 tonnes of garbage had been removed from the various areas of the Rawalpindi district during the four-month-long cleanliness campaign.

According to an RWMC spokesman, a comprehensive cleanliness plan had been chalked down to make the district environmentally friendly.

He informed that RWMC workers had continued their drive during the last two days despite blockades of roads by a political party.