Nothing smart about city
LUDHIANA: It’s been a year since the Centre announced to develop Ludhiana as a smart city, but the MC has even failed to cover open garbage dumps along national highways and internal roads in the city. In absence of public toilets, walls near the bus stand, railway station and vacant plots in markets have turned into open urinals.
The authorities seem least concerned to maintain cleanliness in areas like Sherpur and Giaspura, where the migrant population resides. Littering has become common place, as the MC has failed to install bins at most public places.
Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria, too, expressed dissatisfaction when asked about the working of MC officials. He said since the installation of a static waste compactor in 2016, four secondary dumps have been removed. “If 10 more are placed across the city, nearly 40 dumps can be done away with,” he said.
MC additional commissioner Surabhi Malik said: “Our garbage disposal plant is functional and lifting of garbage is being done properly. We are going to set up public and community toilets this year.
The city needs more static compactors to do away with garbage dumps. People should pitch in too. They should not dump garbage on vacant plots. I will talk to municipal officials to install bins at required places. HARCHARAN SINGH GOHALWARIA, mayor