Our municipalities are usually coming under criticism for not coming up to the mark in regard to maintaining ecological balance in their respective towns and cities. Their usual complaints are that they are either short of manpower or funds. This may or may not be true, the point is something different which we would want to bring to the public domain. It is the question of efficiency and delivery that we are dealing with. Efficiency has nothing to do with funding etc. With whatever schemes have been approved, their execution and completion is what we need to lay stress upon.
It is long time that the Government imposed ban on the use of polythene bags and shopkeepers and retail sellers were strictly forbidden to use these when selling their commodities. Polythene is made of substance that is very harmful both to human beings and animals as well as the plant life. It is almost indestructible and when burnt it emits smoke and gas that is very injurious to health. Stray animals like cows and bulls that are so commonly found in the streets of our towns eat the polythene bags when these contain litter and refuse and in the process they become sick and diseased and die. People use polythene bags and then throw them away into the drains and then the drains get choked. Drain water stops running down and thus it begins to stink and spread epidemics. It is in view of these hazards that the Government had imposed ban on the use of polythene bags. The question is why not the municipal does it duty or the district administrative authorities enforce the law regarding ban on the use of polythene bags? It will be reminded that when the ban was imposed officially there were some people with commercial interests who did not want the ban to be imposed and they even showed resistance. But finding that the Government had put its foot down, they withdrew and the law took its natural course.
It needs to be brought home that imposition of ban on the use of polythene bags is universal. It was first felt in European countries that the use .of polythene was harmful and then ban was imposed. We in this country followed suit.
But the question that we are raising goes beyond the issue of polythene bags. It pertains to general handling of sanitary and environmental matters in our towns and cities. In particular the towns in our State are miserably deficit of sanitary update and environmental efficiency. Authorities are somewhat not serious in maintaining cleanliness, sanitation and ecological balance of our towns. In the first place the problem is of housing. Unauthorised colonies are mushrooming and they are unable to maintain the modicum of modern ways of living. Sewerage and drainage system in the towns is dismal and primitive. Litter is spread all over the streets and open spaces. Open space becomes a dumping ground. Stray animals further add to the degradation of environment. Water logging in rainy season or snow heaps in winter make passage over the streets almost impossible. There are various schemes for urban development sponsored by the State as well as the Central Governments but hardly any of these is completed according to the norms set forth. The reason is that there is no accountability and no punitive measures are taken against the defaulters. Population of towns is increasing fast and services are declining in terms of quality. Inefficiency has become rampant since accountability is absent.
Take the case of sacred Devika river in Udhampur, whos existence is in danger due the continuous dumping of garbage, particularly the polythene bags.
It is important that the administrative machinery in Udhampur comes into action and focuses on improving sanitary conditions of the town. Udhampur is located on the top of a hillock and commands scenic view. It has the potential to become a very attractive town and also a model hill town with many facilities. Apart from this all it is an important commercial town which lies on the highway to Kashmir. Thus it is the hub of trade to all of the vast hinterland that lies beyond. It’s also a strategic town and provides security to the entire area lying along the National Highway. We want that Udhampur should become a model town, the neatest town in the region where people would love to live and work. The Government must take immediate steps to streamline municipal administration of this town.
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