With concerns being raised about the ground reality of some Namami Gange works, another example has emerged from Haridwar. Out of the 19 villages selected as Ganga Grams in the district, the solid waste management works in seven Gram Panchayats are not being undertaken as mandated. Due to this, the villagers are dumping garbage in areas near the Ganga, with heaps of biodegradable and non-biodegradable garbage accumulating in such areas.
According to sources, seven Gram Panchayats near Haridwar city were selected as Ganga Grams. These include Ajitpur, Nurpur Panjanhedi, Katarpur Alipur, Bishanpur Kundi, Kangdi, Shyampur and Bhogpur. Despite a sum of about Rs 2.5 crore being spent on solid waste management alone, the garbage from many of these villages is being dumped along the Ganga. The components of the Ganga Grams include making the villages OFD, proper management of village waste draining into the Ganga river and proper disposal of solid waste, among other aspects.
Waste disposal centres, compost units, sheds and other resources had been developed in the past for these villages. Swajal was to implement this system but due to differences between the agency and local public representatives regarding alleged irregularities and improper usage of funds, many of the waste disposal centres for these villages have remained closed.
The local villagers state that the disposal centres have been out of operation since their construction. The funds provided for the purchase of tractor trolleys to transport garbage too could not be used for the intended purpose. The situation is such that the tractor trolleys carry garbage from the villages and dump it along the Ganga. As a result, large heaps of garbage have accumulated at some places along the holy river.
Plastic waste, used polythene, rotten vegetables and other waste are not only polluting the Ganga but also increasing the chances of diseases and stench in the nearby villages.
The Katarpur Alipur Gram Pradhan representative, Sachin Kumar claimed that the village had not been provided any funds under the Namami Gange programme so far. The waste disposal arrangement is fully dependent on the village’s own resources. Twice a week, the Gram Panchayat uses a tractor trolley to dump the garbage at a spot called Begum, about one kilometre from the Ganga’s banks. There is no other arrangement for waste disposal, he said.
Observers opine that dumping garbage even at spots at some distance from the river, part of the waste and toxics from it may end up in the river due to the action of wind and rain, among other factors.
