By Nitin Kesar:
Even after hosting the 19th Commonwealth Games, Delhi still lacks basic facilities like dustbins and toilets. Roads stretch for miles without dustbins in areas like Connaught Place, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg and Pahar Ganj. These areas are major attractions for tourists and lack of basic facilities like waste bins is a big inconvenience for visitors and a turn off for many.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi which is busy digging new roads and renovating same old footpaths must realize that if the area is clean the longevity of their work sustains.
The affair of other areas in Delhi is even worse. Talking about Paschim Vihar, a person may have to walk four kilometers to find a dust bin. Imagine – just to throw a small piece of wrapper, you have to walk up to 4 kms. Need is not only to educate people but to provide them the resources for implementation of moral values.
If we could spend for moon missions, why not buy a few waste bins to keep our city clean and green. What we need is a healthy environment to sustain in a healthy nation. And if measures of cleanliness are applied — we don’t have to spend much on getting rid of diseases like cholera and malaria.
Recently, a Dengue outbreak in Delhi disturbed a lot of people and the government has spent enough money already on spraying medicines. Still, the authorities are sorting out the issue temporarily. Lack of proper waste disposal and sanitation is what attributes mainly to such health hazards.
Authorities have to take note that dust bins should be installed every five hundred meters on footpaths. Historical buildings like in Connaught Place do not lose their pristine quality with litter bins around them. Instead proper facilities for waste distribution are what makes them a spotless sight to watch.
Image courtesy: vwsluk