Officials accuse AMC of poor waste management

Ahead of the Swachhta rankings to be announced in the next two days, senior AMC officials, on the condition of anonymity, have alleged that the civic body has failed to maintain cleanliness in the city and hasn't given priority to the same as to other issues.

"Since last two years, the AMC has retained 14th rank. This year it will seemingly fall farther than 20th rank because cleanliness has not been the focus of the concerned department. People and officials, too, are raising issues regarding cleanliness," said a senior AMC official. "Kharicut canal has been cleaned in a month, which was filthy since over a decade. Then why isn't the civic body focusing on its obligatory matter(sic)?"

Following the allegations, DNA visited a few spots in the city on Wednesday to conduct a reality check. Areas including Riverfront, Dariyapur, Khadia, Vadaj etc were found to be littered while at the fountain boundary at Bhadra Plaza was filled with waste. Brooms were found lying unused.

Savitaben, a street vendor working opposite Flower Park, Riverfront said, "A garbage collection vehicles comes only once a day. Since there is not dustbin around, people dump the leftovers on the road itself. We have requested people often to dump the garbage at their homes until the vehicle arrives, but who listens to us?"

"Often the AMC staff burns garbage here. Marks the burning are visible on the wall," she added. Garbage, including cables, was also seen burning around Dhudheshwar Crematorium, near to Subhash Bridge, on Wednesday morning.

Dariyapur faces a similar fate. "People dump garbage here at night after we close our shops. When we ask people to dump that garbage in the dustbins provided by civic body, they say they don't have that facility," said Salim Ajmeri, a shop-owner from the area.

Director of Solid Waste Management, Harshad Solanki was quick to wash his hands of the matter. "We are going to have checks on the paan shops and eateries that are violating the norms. Also, I will check other places. The said garbage issue comes under health officials, still I will look in to the matter." "We have cleaned Kharicut canal and with the same enthusiasm we will keep cleaning city," said Solanki.

Dinesh Desai, Chairman of Health and Solid Waste Committee said, "This is part of solid waste management, except Vadaj BRTS corridor. I will look in to the matter and check why people are dumping on street. We have provided dustbins to individuals and shop owners to discard their waste. If needed, we will give more." Desai also assured of conducting awareness programmes.