Garbage piles, drains threaten ‘Clean Punjab’

The picturesque town of Buchiana is grappling with a growing crisis as piles of garbage and boiling drains threaten to mar the Clean Punjab programme championed by the chief minister.

Allegations of false reporting by the Union Council secretary and neglect from staff concerned have further exacerbated the situation, with claims of substantial funds being misappropriated.

Reports from urban and rural communities paint a grim picture of the area resembling a filth depot, with garbage heaps and sewage-filled drains turning markets into cesspools.

The overwhelming stench emanating from the accumulated waste has made daily life unbearable for residents and passers-by alike.

Despite promises made during previous caretaker governments and initiatives like the Village Brightening Programme, little progress has been made on the ground in Buchiana.

The lack of coordination between relevant organisations and committees formed by Union Councils has further hindered efforts to address the sanitation crisis.

With the implementation of the Clean Punjab programme yet to commence, the threat of disease outbreaks looms large over the town, exacerbated by the structural damage caused by blocked drains and overflowing garbage heaps.

Desperate residents are calling on higher authorities to intervene urgently, urging for immediate action to clean the drains and remove the piles of waste in Buchiana to safeguard public health and prevent the spread of deadly diseases.

In this regard, President of the Traders Association Malik Muhammad Ashraf stated that the incomplete arrangements for cleanliness and the heaps of garbage have made life miserable in Buchiana.

Mobile Phone Association President of Buchiana Syed Muqaddas Hussain Zaidi said the piles of garbage and waste cricket on the streets and roads are no less than a nightmare.

“Despite repeated requests to the Union Council Secretary, no action has been taken to remove the garbage heaps and clean the drains,” he said.

Social Youth Organisation President Malik Waqas Mujtaba remarked that the heaps of garbage in urban and rural areas of Buchiana are contradicting the vision of clean and stable Punjab announced by the Chief Minister of Punjab.

“The reports provided by the officials of the concerned department are misleading the public and officials alike.”

Members of the “Abb Gaon Chakein Gay” Syed Zahid Hussain and Abid Hussain Malik stated that neither have we been questioned about cleanliness nor has any action plan been prepared after a meeting for cleanliness.

They mentioned that the Union Council Secretary, 41, has repeatedly come to us to collect the garbage tax imposed by the government, but no work has been done regarding cleanliness.

The locals have appealed to the authorities to immediately remove the garbage heaps in Buchiana and clean the drains to protect the citizens from various diseases.

When contacted about the incomplete arrangements for cleanliness in Buchiana, the officers concerned stated that they will eliminate the heaps of garbage cricket in Buchiana city.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2024.