Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Nov 24: Instead of disposing of garbage and other waste material at a dumping ground, the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj authorities workers and locals are directly throwing garbage into the river at Mendhar town.
Residents complained that by doing so, they are not only polluting the Mendhar river which ultimately will lead to the death of aquatic animals life but are also causing great inconvenience to the people who pass through the area as foul smell emanates from the water body.
The workers engaged by the RDD authorities after collecting garbage from various parts of the town, directly dump the same into the river near Bus Stand. This practice is going on for the last many years. Neither Sub Divisional/ District Administration or the Pollution Control Board authorities Poonch took notice of the issue.
“We have complained to the authorities many times, but no one listens. Now, we have given up complaining to any body,”Abdul Hakeem, a local resident said.
He further said that hundreds of passers-by keep praying every day, in which there is a mosque crossing this bridge where people offer prayers and in such a situation, the piles of garbage lying on the way are inviting health diseases.
Another locals Abdul Qayoom Khan, Ashok Kumar said the some shopkeepers of hotel, dhabas and Chicken shops dump garbage in Mendhar river. With very few Safai workers available, heaps of garbage remain piled up on the roadside leading to cluttered roads and clogged drains. Instead of further disposing of garbage and other waste material at a dumping site, the RDD authorities have been dumping the garbage into river polluting the water, they added.
The people of Mendhar have urged the District Development Commissioner, Poonch, to direct Tehsil administration and RDD officials at Mendhar of this problem and take action in this regard.
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