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Sanitary conditions continue to worsen

Residents exposed to epidemics in RCB, CCB areas

* Heaps of garbage on roads a common sight
* Area stinks of overflowing sewers as no infrastructure developed in last three years

By Aamir Yasin

RAWALPINDI: The failure of Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) to improve sanitary conditions in areas under their jurisdictions can result in outbreak of any epidemic in the area.

Garbage: Overflowing garbage bins are a common sight in RCB areas, particularly, Haider Road, Hathi Chowk, Tench Bhatta, Barafkhana Chowk, Allahabad, Chak Madad Khan, Transit Camp, Raja Akram Road, Chur Chowk, Siham, Aliabad, Naseerabad, Pirwadhai Morr and Gawalmandi.

The sanitations conditions in area falling under Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) are also not different. Heaps of garbage could be seen almost on all roads and streets in Dhoke Kashmirain, Dhoke Kala Khan, Rehmatabad, Dhoke Munshi, Bevel Lines, Marrir Hassan, Jhanda Chichi, Sir Syed Chowk, Dhoke Chiraghdin, Chaklala Scheme-II, Lalazar, Lalkurti, and Tariqabad.

Infrastructure: All these areas are stinking with garbage heaps and overflowing sewers, as the cantonment areas with over one million population have witnessed no significant development of infrastructure for last three years.

Both the cantonment boards mainly focus to improve sanitary conditions in posh areas including Westridge, Valley Road, Chaklala Schemes, New Lalazar, Civil Lines, Sarwar Road, Sir Syed Road, Peshawar Road, Race Course Road, Lane 4 and Lane 5 and some other localities and leave the remaining areas unattended.

The inefficient management of civic affairs is leading to further deterioration of sanitation conditions in the cantonment area. Even after a brief spell of rain the choked drainage channels spew out all the filth onto the roads and streets. Overflowing gutters have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other germs exposing the residents to the risk of viral diseases.

The cantonment residents complained that the sanitary workers did not visit their areas to collect solid waste and as the result garbage heaps on roads and streets continue to rise. They said the truck came to their area for collecting garbage once in a month.

They said it was very difficult to walk on the roads and streets due to stinking smell emanating from the heaps of garbage. The residents said they had lodged a number of complaints with the civic body but their efforts went unnoticed.

“I visited the office of CCB executive officer twice but his secretary said the officer had gone to Islamabad for a meeting,” said Muhammad Akram, a resident of Jhanda Chichi.

Kareem Ahmed, a resident of Gawalmandi, said sewerage system in their area had collapsed, as the RCB did not remove garbage from the roads that goes into the sewerage lines and choke them.

Qasim Malik, a resident of Kamalabad, said sanitary workers instead of collecting garbage burned it on roads creating further pollution in the area. He said many people in their locality were suffering from respiratory diseases due to thick smoke and air pollution. He demanded that the civic body take measures to collect garbage on daily basis.

Muhammad Riaz, an agitated resident of Chur Chowk, said the civic facilities infrastructure in cantonment areas had collapsed as there was no public representation in the cantonment boards and bureaucracy was running the affairs and paying no attention to complaints of general public.

“It is high time that the government hold local bodies elections in cantonment areas to have a public representative to solve their problems,” he said.

When contacted, the officials of cantonment boards said the administration had directed the sanitation staff to keep the cantonment clean and regularly collect the garbage. They said main roads and markets were cleaned regularly after business hours. They said it was not true that the sanitation staff was not lifting garbage regularly. “It is also the duty of residents to cooperate with the cantonment boards and keep the cantonment clean,” they said.

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