Uttarkashi, 5 October (). A big case has now come up, raising questions on the cleanliness system of Uttarkashi Nagar. The old alternative market route passing through the Tambakhani tunnel, which was once the main route for the movement of travelers and local people, has now become the main garbage dumping zone of the city. The municipality is putting solid and wet waste of the city on this route every day.
The reality is that the route from which school children, pilgrims and local citizens pass through the next route, now plastic, rotten organic waste, and construction debris are spread on the same route. The roadside garbage piles and contaminated water are directly found in the mother Bhagirathi Ganga. This flow increases further during rainy days, due to which the water of the Ganges has been polluted and foul smell is spreading in the surrounding areas.
Local people say that this situation has persisted for the last several years. Municipality vehicles come daily and empty garbage here. There is neither a system of covering, nor any scientific process of disposal. As a result, outbreaks of mosquitoes, flies and poisonous odor have increased here.
Senior social worker Dinesh Panwar expressed deep displeasure over the situation. He said that it is very embarrassing that the municipality has made the route outside the Tambakhani tunnel, the most sensitive area on the banks of the Ganges. The dirty water leaking from here is getting directly available in mother Bhagirathi. It is betrayal with both environment and faith.
District General Secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad Kirti Singh Mahar called it ‘attack on the sanctity of mother Ganga’. He said that Ganga is the mother of our faith, but in Uttarkashi, Ganga has been made a medium for the city’s waste. The municipality and contractors have stained the identity of the city. If this dumping is not stopped immediately, Vishwa Hindu Parishad will take to the streets.
The municipality has made MST for waste disposal Companies and Zero West Company have given contracts of crores of rupees, but no permanent dumping site has been built, nor any scientific disposal system was implemented.
The municipality president says that the new solid waste management site for the city has been identified in the Tiloth area, where the work is in progress and will be ready in about six months. In future, all the garbage of the city will be disposed of there.
However, the local people say that the work in Tiloth is going on with ‘Turtle Chal’ and the municipality is currently dumping garbage outside Tambakhani to save the expenses of transport. People allege that the municipality has got the facility here nor the cost of the vehicle nor the cost of fuel, so it is not taking interest in removing garbage from this place.
Local residents of Josiestra and Gyanasu said that now it has become not only pollution, but a ‘public health emergency’. This city, situated on the banks of the mother Bhagirathi Ganga, which is considered to be the religious axis of the Chardham Yatra, has been transformed into a pile of garbage today due to administrative negligence.
Maa Ganga is now carrying the burden of dirt and garbage of the city, which leaves Gangotri and flows from the lap of Uttarkashi. Local citizens say that if there is no early action, they will start cleanliness and protests themselves.
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AKS/DKP
