Rain raises stink, spills garbage on city roads

Lucknow: While the rains have brought smiles to the faces of most people reeling under intense heat, it has also posed trouble for locals residing in areas where garbage is dumped in the open. The waste has spilled onto the streets due to the rain posing a risk of outbreak of infectious diseases. The city has 56 dumping grounds with compactors but only less than half are functioning.A TOI reality check of Hazratganj, Aliganj, Mahanagar, Naka-Hindola and Lalbagh areas revealed that irregular cleaning of dumping grounds and rainwater on the exposed garbage has made the situation worse.“The household waste along with the one thrown by pedestrians are accumulated on these dumping grounds. The sanitation workers are irregular, and the compactors are not cleaned either. This may lead to spread of diseases especially among children and the elderly. Those with breathing problem may also face difficulty,” said Abdullah Begh (23) of Lalbagh.Santosh Kumar of Hazratganj said: “There is a garbage dump near my tea shop. It is a breeding ground for insects and mosquitoes. Also, the stench is unbearable. I am planning to shift during the season.”A resident of Naka, Rohit Scott said: “The garbage dump is not only for household waste but also commercial discards. The waste is not disposed in the dump yard properly and ends up on the road because of the rain making life of pedestrians difficult.”Medical superintendent of Lok Bandhu Hospital Dr Ajay Tripathi said: "Typhoid, malaria and dengue are common diseases that people face in this season. The scattered garbage is a seedbed for cholera and dysentery."Municipal health officer Dr Sunil Rawat said: “We have been making constant efforts to improve the garbage disposal mechanism. Action was also taken against erring supervisors.”(With inputs from Sunny Dayal and Navneet Singh)