Jaipur: Five days after Diwali, several parts of Kishanpole zone in the Walled City are still grappling with poor sanitation. Piles of firecracker waste and household garbage have collected on roads and lanes, inconveniencing residents and shopkeepers. Areas around Ramganj Chaupar, Hida Ki Mori, Ghat Gate, Jhulelal Marg, Nai Ki Thadi and Sanganeri Gate continue to await proper cleaning. Even Tripolia Bazaar, which witnessed heavy footfall during the festive season, had piles of garbage lying around.
Garbage on Road near Rajasthan Assembly
The situation comes weeks after a nearly 10-day strike by garbage hopper drivers and helpers disrupted waste collection in the area. Residents are now facing another spell of irregular garbage collection, with councillors alleging that hoppers either fail to cover their assigned routes or do not turn up at all.A local, Amit Sharma, said, “Garbage has been accumulating in our lanes since Diwali. The hoppers do not come regularly, so household waste is also piling up outside. It has made everyday life difficult.”Shopkeeper Sagar Kumar said, “There was heavy rush during Diwali, but the sanitation arrangements were inadequate. Even after the festival, the garbage has not been cleared. This also causes inconvenience to customers visiting the market.”The issue was raised at a meeting held by Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) mayor Sunil Kothari with Kishanpole zone officials and councillors on Nov 6, two days before Diwali. Councillors pointed out that although hoppers are scheduled to operate in residential areas between 7am and 3pm, several vehicles return by around 11am after covering only part of their assigned routes. They also complained that the recorded announcements played by hoppers to alert residents about garbage collection are often not played.Councillor from Ward 113, Ganfar Ali, said, “It has been five days since Diwali, but neither firecracker waste nor household garbage has been cleared. Even when the hopper comes, it visits only one or two lanes instead of covering the entire ward. We raised the issue before the mayor as well, but no solution has been found so far.”Mohammad Zakariya, councillor from Ward 114, said he had submitted several written complaints to Kishanpole deputy commissioner Niharika Sharma and had also been raising the issue over phone calls on a daily basis.“The problem is not limited to irregular hopper services. The number of sanitation workers has also not increased. The workforce that was earlier assigned to a population of 10,000 is now expected to cater to 30,000 people. The situation has reached a point where even sanitation workers do not respond to our concerns,” he said.Sunita Methi, councillor from Ward 110, said the delay in hopper services had been a persistent problem in her ward. “Hoppers have never arrived on time in our ward. After Diwali, so much garbage has accumulated that it has become difficult for us to respond to residents’ complaints. Officials are not paying heed to our concerns,” she said.Amid continuing complaints about sanitation, councillors are also waiting for the corporation’s first board meeting. They said two months have passed since the board was constituted, but no meeting has been held so far. Councillors want the meeting to discuss how the Rs 50 lakh allocated by the corporation to each ward will be utilised and which local requirements should be prioritised.
