Malu Kerni
Swachh Bharat Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narinder Modi two years back. To support the Swachh Bharat mission several campaigns, huge hoardings were launched by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) but all have failed to improve the sanitation situation in city.
The city still presents a dirty look as failure of the municipal bodies and poor civic sense among residents has turned the city into a huge garbage dump. Heaps of garbage, stagnant water and blocked drains in every part of the city tell a tale of neglect and indifferent attitude of the concerned authorities and of residents, who dump the waste on roads, in lanes/drains without giving any consideration to the affect on the image of the city.
Aarshi Sharma, a homemaker and resident of Karan Nagar said, “I feel the money sanctioned for the campaign need not spend by the MC on media advertisements, hoardings, and posters and rather should better be utilised properly to engage more Safai Karamcharies and equipment required. Also, there is dire need to make people aware. Addressing press conferences and rallies is not a solution to this. We need to educate people to maintain cleanliness and the most important step is to install dust bins in all the areas and JMC should make sure that these dustbins are properly covered and waste management should be done in a proper manner.”
Kshitiza Sharma, a student said, “Swachh Bharat mission in our state has only benefitted officials, political leaders and other high profile people who just to gain publicity have organized press meets and pose with Broom in hands and nothing on ground level is being done by any of the officials or the concerned agencies. No doubt the mission was launched in Universities, colleges, schools, mohallas but only for the day and after that the situation remains the same. Heaps of garbage are everywhere in the city, especially the areas where Matadors, auto-rickshaws and private vehicles are parked and no one is bothered. Moreover, at many places one will not find any dustbin to throw the garbage and in such case people are left with no other option than to throw the lit on roads and streets. I strongly feel that if we really want to achieve the goal of Swachh Bharat Mission and need a clean environment we have to make sure that proper dustbins are there and people should be made aware and understand their responsibility to keep the surroundings clean at home and in workplace.”
Priyanka Bharti, a working woman said, “It is sad that our leaders are only using the mission as a publicity stunt and often can be seen posing for a group photograph with a brand new broom in hand but they fail to work on the ground level and clean the surrounding. In such a recent incident we say workers of BJP Mahila Morcha in Old Age Home Amphala. In the surroundings and in the nearby area, one can find heaps of garbage but these workers were unable to notice that. They were cleaning the already clean old age home premises. What a joke it is? These leaders are making mockery of the mission launched by its own party and only to come in limelight hold broom in hand.”
Swachh Bharat is only possible if the concerned agencies and people work together on ground level to make city neat and clean and our leaders and politicians too work on ground level as mere broom in hand and press publicity is not enough.
