Video Editor: Vishal Kumar
Video Producer: Aastha Gulati
In my home town Meerut, precisely the Baniya Para area, the major issue we are facing is solid waste management. Vacant plots are being used as dumping grounds, and they are full of single-use plastics and other hazardous waste.
In terms of sanitation as well, there is no sewerage network. The waste is contaminating our streets, it smells foul to everyone passing by.
The drain near my house used to have water in it when I was younger. Now, it is filled with all sorts of waste, excreta, and is a breeding ground for disease. In 2017, I had written to the municipal corporation to find a solution to the problem, but all they did was make a boundary over the drain. Today, even that boundary doesn’t exist. In fact, the nullah is bigger and dirtier.
Ilyaas, who resides in the Khist Bazan area, told me,
“Cows, buffaloes have fallen into the nullah. A kid also fell into it. The entire road has caved in. There was a boundary but it has been broken. The nullah has become huge.”
A few other residents corroborated his statement. A resident said the smell and filth had begun to affect children’s health.
“Look at the excreta here, we went to get milk and had to cover our faces due to the smell. The police are sitting here, even they don’t say anything about cleaning the nullah.”
A neighbourhood school exists opposite the drain and unfortunately, there have been few admissions this year due to the unsanitary conditions.
“We opened this school five years ago but because of the filth, there have been very few admissions this year. The children fall sick. Whoever comes for admission takes one look at the nullah and returns.”Bushra Siddiqui, Resident
Most residents said the municipal corporation isn’t taking an active step to clean the drain or even create a boundary wall. Is it not our responsibility to improve the conditions of the nullah? Is it not the responsibility of the authorities to take a step towards it? This is the biggest question of the residents in Khist Bazan.
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