Hyderabad: Heaps of garbage greet residents of Old City

Hyderabad: Tall claims of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials on sanitation during the holy month notwithstanding, the state affairs of the Old City are not pleasing. The lanes and bylanes of the city are filled with heaps of garbage and the drains overflow.

With the recent intermittent downpour in the city garbage has been strewn around; it not only raises an unbearable stink, but also flows into drains and chokes them. Residents complain that debris, drains and garbage are not being cleared on a regular basis by the sanitation staff despite tall claims by the GHMC authorities of intensifying cleanliness activities.

Areas most affected by poor sanitation are Moghalpura, Shalibanda, Nawab Sahab Kunta, Shamsheergunj, Falaknuma, Talabkatta, Charminar, Dabeerpura, Yakutpura, Gowlipura, Mallepally, Nampally, Tolichowki.

Expressing anguish over GHMC's failure to ensure cleanliness, Mohammed Ahmed, a social activist of Old City says, "every time the civic body claims to maintain cleanliness it fails. Even for Ramzan, the holy month, there is no arrangement to clean the areas and clear garbage. There are several such mosques in the city where drains overflow near their entrances. Devotees face inconvenience. Despite several complaints nothing has been done."

After the residents' pleas to GHMC officials fell on deaf ears, the locals themselves were forced to clear garbage. "In Gowlipura daily devotees are clearing garbage near the entrance of mosques," said Mohammed Asif, a resident. Garbage bins were removed as a part of a bin-free city; yet heaps of garbage are seen at the same point. Even sanitation staff dump it at the place and is cleared after 3-4 days, say residents.

Besides poor sanitary conditions, open manholes, drain overflow at several places remain. "There are over seven open manholes in Panjesha near Charminar. Due to recent rain silt overflows and spreads on roads. Devotees going to mosques are facing inconvenience, as the road is filled with silt. Complaints were raised; yet it remains the same, this has to be cleared as earliest," said a resident Murtuza Mohsin.

"The civic body has totally failed to meet expectations of the citizens, as many areas in the city are grappling with insanitation issues," say residents.

However, the GHMC circle-9 (Charminar) officials said: Daily the concerned wing is clearing garbage from roads and also from the garbage point. "A special team is appointed for the sanitation in the city," said an official.