Piles of Garbage, Faulty Compost Pits and Unutilized Waste Vehicles Indicate Ground Realities in Delang
It seems that the Swachh Bharat Mission is unable to deliver its objectives effectively in the Delang block of Odisha, due to the improper waste management system which poses another big issue among the people there. While the government is always making efforts in the form of clean-up campaigns on papers, reality is quite opposite.
Open garbage dumps have now emerged in different places of villages within the block. Even after spending crores of rupees on waste management schemes, adequate disposal and maintenance of those systems are not present.
Under the mission, dustbins and compost pits were built in different panchayats, but they are found to be broken, overflowing with waste, or unmaintained by any authority. Moreover, piles of wastes from vegetable markets continue to accumulate inside Rench Panchayat market area. The old Gandhi Peeth situated at Berboi is also reported to be turned into a dumpyard.
Out of the total of 21 panchayats in Delang block, very few got the garbage collecting vehicles. But even some of those have stopped being used now. There are reports of problems arising in a few of them, but some are simply left lying at panchayat sites covered with rust and weeds.
There are apprehensions among locals that the insanitary conditions prevalent near residential and market areas might result in the outbreak of waterborne diseases like malaria, dengue, and skin ailments.
The reason cited for lack of success is the carelessness of officers, sarpanches, and other panchayat authorities. The amount of money being wasted in government funds in implementing this scheme is reportedly too much.
On the other hand, the Block Development Officer of Delang block informed that guidelines have been already issued to all panchayats regarding proper implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Now, what the government does in this regard and whether MLA Ashrit Pattanayak takes any action or not, remains to be seen.
