Heaps of garbage raise questions over functioning of Amritsar Municipal Corporation

Although the district administration and the Municipal Corporation (MC) have launched a drive to penalise owners of vacant plots where garbage is dumped or water gets accumulated, the condition of roads and streets, officially under the civic body jurisdiction, is pathetic as these remain choked with heaps of waste.

A visit to various localities of Amritsar reveals a clear contrast. Major roads, markets and residential colonies are littered with piles of garbage. Local residents complain that the door-to-door garbage collection service run by the MC has become irregular, forcing them to dump waste in nearby vacant plots. “How long can someone keep garbage inside their home waiting for the MC truck that never shows up on time?” questioned a resident Malkeet Singh.

Prominent social worker and activist Pawan Sharma said, “The sanitation situation in the city is deteriorating rapidly. Garbage, muddy patches and stagnant rainwater are becoming breeding grounds for diseases. Shockingly, instead of focusing on cleaning, the Municipal Corporation seems more interested in blaming the public for the mess.”

Recently, Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh held a meeting with officials from the MC and the Health Department. The focus of the meeting was on reviewing action taken against owners of vacant plots where garbage was dumped and water accumulation was common. Singh also sought detailed reports on challans issued and fines imposed on these plot owners.

Singh said stagnant water and waste in plots had become breeding ground for mosquitoes and pests, besides creating serious public health risks. He emphasised that cleaning of these spaces was essential to prevent potential outbreak of diseases.

Under Section 163 of the Punjab Civil Safety Code, 2023, the Deputy Commissioner has directed the MC to take stringent measures across the district to mitigate these health risks. Instructions were issued to slap fines and initiate legal proceedings against owners of neglected plots, treating them as contributors to public health hazards. If the MC was compelled to clean these plots, the expenses incurred would be recovered from owners or occupants.

Activist Pawan Sharma said, “Will the Deputy Commissioner also take action under Section 163 of the Civil Safety Code against corporation officials who have failed to clean garbage-laden public spaces and roads? Or will only common citizens be held accountable?”

Amritsar