Jaipur: Despite deploying around 8,500 sanitation workers, 1,000 garbage collection vehicles and mechanised cleaning equipment, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation’s (JMC) efforts to keep the city clean are falling short in several neighbourhoods. Garbage continues to accumulate at open depots and market stretches, raising questions about the effectiveness of JMC’s sanitation measures.
1,000 hoopers, yet garbage piles up across Jaipur
A TOI visit Thursday found stretches between Ramganj and Ghat Gate littered with garbage, presenting a stark contrast to Jaipur’s recognition as Rajasthan’s cleanest city. The situation was no different along Moti Doongri Road, where open garbage depots were found at frequent intervals, in some places barely 100 metres apart. Similar conditions were observed in several other parts of the city.
Ramganj Bazar
While JMC has attributed the recent garbage accumulation to the post-Diwali period, residents and shopkeepers said irregular waste collection and accumulated garbage are persistent problems. For instance, at Lal Ji Saand Ka Rasta, shopkeeper Mahendra Tank said the problem was not limited to the post-Diwali period, with garbage often accumulating for days. He said the collection vehicle rarely visits the market, and waste is sometimes cleared only after a week, 15 days or even a month.
garbage Civil Lines area
JMC, however, maintains that it has a multi-layered sanitation system in place. Additional commissioner Narendra Bansal said around 8,500 workers are engaged in manual sweeping, while dedicated unit teams clear open garbage depots.
Garbage Shyam Nagar area
The civic body has also deployed around 1,000 hoopers for door-to-door waste collection. In the Walled City, mechanised road sweepers operate between 11 pm and 3 am. JMC also uses Jatayu garbage suction machines to clear waste from depots.A JMC official explained the reason for open depots despite the multi-layered sanitation system. He said residents often miss the designated door-to-door collection timings and subsequently dump waste at open depots. For instance, if a hooper arrives at 5 am and residents wake up later, they may leave their garbage at the nearest depot. Similarly, shopkeepers who clean their establishments in the morning may leave waste outside for hours if the collection vehicle arrives only in the evening.
“The market is always littered with garbage. Waste is not collected daily despite residents paying separately to the JMC workers. We have to repeatedly plead with sanitation workers to collect it. Residents living on the upper floors of buildings also throw garbage onto the streets,” said Vivek Khatri, a resident of Lal Ji Saand Ka Rasta.
“The garbage collection vehicle does not clear waste from the depot. The workers insist that residents put the garbage directly into the vehicle, saying they will not collect it from the ground. This leads to garbage piling up in the neighbourhood, forcing us to pay Rs 300 separately to get the area cleaned,” said Govind Agarwal, a resident of Maharani Farm, Durgapura.
“The garbage collection vehicle does not come regularly. Even when sanitation workers sweep the streets, they do not remove the waste but simply gather it in one place. The garbage then gets scattered again by the wind,” said Mohammad Anif, a resident of Ramganj.
“Citizens need to be aware and refrain from dumping garbage at open depots. We are making efforts to address sanitation issue and trying to beautify the city. It is an ongoing process,” said Narendra Bansal, additional commissioner, Jaipur Municipal Corporation.
