Burning trash heaps along Walidpur's main road are choking commuters and making residents sick

The Walidpur Nagar Panchayat is dumping garbage right beside the main road and setting it on fire, with the toxic smoke leaving people ill and raising the risk of accidents. Despite repeated complaints, nothing has changed.

While the nationwide Swachh Bharat, Sundar Bharat campaign pushes to make every town, city and village cleaner, the picture in Walidpur is exactly the opposite. Here the Nagar Panchayat itself is piling up garbage right beside the main road and then setting it ablaze. The result is that the toxic smoke billowing from the heap has made life miserable for commuters and for people living in the surrounding neighbourhood alike.

Garbage dumped on the main route itself
According to government-nominated councillor Pramod Sonkar, the Nagar Panchayat is dumping waste on the very main road that runs from Walidpur to Jiyanpur, and the pile is set on fire every single day. The smoke pollutes the air across the entire area, forcing people on the road to cover their faces as they pass. The haze can darken the road so badly that accidents are narrowly avoided time and again. Sonkar says the issue has been raised several times, but no action has ever been taken.

The chairperson's phone never gets answered
The councillor alleges that Nagar Panchayat chairperson Savitri Gupta never picks up the phone. If anyone does try to raise a matter, her sons step in, and because of this attitude development work across the entire Nagar Panchayat has stalled. The administration had asked for a site to be designated for dumping garbage, but no land could be identified for it due to what he calls a high-handed approach. That is why, out of compulsion, the waste is being dumped and burned along the main road. The chairperson's failure to respond to any call about a problem has become the biggest grievance for residents here.

Smoke leaving people ill
Local residents Rajan Singh and Ramchet Yadav say the garbage dumped on the main road is troubling commuters and the whole neighbourhood. The rising smoke is wrecking people's health and leaving them prey to several illnesses. In the mornings people step out onto this very road hoping for fresh air, but the polluted smoke sends them back home carrying diseases instead. Thousands of vehicles pass along this stretch every day, and with the road shrouded in smoke the threat of accidents is constant. Despite repeated complaints, the problem has not been solved.

Breathlessness and cough among complaints
Kalpati Devi and Jugnu say the Nagar Panchayat dumps and burns the garbage right on the main road, and the smoke that rises from it has triggered several illnesses. They have to travel along this road every day. Even after covering their faces, they have fallen sick. The moment they cross this stretch they begin to feel breathless and develop a cough. Both residents and passers-by are suffering the most from it.

Officer assures the garbage will be cleared
On the whole matter, Walidpur Nagar Panchayat Executive Officer Vaibhav Singh said the issue has come to his notice. He gave an assurance that a water tanker would be sent to douse the fire and that the staff concerned would be clearly instructed not to dump garbage there again.

What this means for you
• Across India: Smoke from openly burning garbage worsens respiratory and lung problems, so it is wise to cover your face when passing such spots and keep children and the elderly away.
• In Walidpur: The daily smoke from burning trash on the Walidpur to Jiyanpur main road threatens both health and road safety, especially for morning walkers and the thousands of drivers who use this stretch every day.

Questions & Answers

1. What are people in Walidpur upset about?
The Nagar Panchayat is dumping garbage beside the main road and setting it on fire, and the smoke is making commuters and neighbourhood residents ill.

2. On which road is the garbage being dumped?
It is being dumped on the main route running from Walidpur to Jiyanpur, where thousands of vehicles pass every day.

3. What problems is the smoke causing?
People are suffering breathlessness and cough, and the smoke covering the road keeps the risk of accidents high.

4. What are the allegations against the Nagar Panchayat chairperson?
Councillor Pramod Sonkar says chairperson Savitri Gupta does not answer calls and her sons interfere, leaving development work stalled.

5. Why is the garbage being dumped right beside the road?
The administration had asked for a dumping site to be designated, but no land could be identified, so the waste is being dumped along the main road instead.

6. What assurance has the officer given?
Executive Officer Vaibhav Singh said a water tanker would be sent to put out the fire and staff would be instructed not to dump garbage there.

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