Stinking agra
Experts say lack of moisture in the air and a thick layer of fog
have worsened the already dismal environmental conditions in the city, home to
the Taj Mahal — the 17th century mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan
that attracted five million visitors last year.
“All that we will remember is the foul smell of Agra ,” said a foreign tourist, George, while
bidding adieu to the city.
“Health and hygiene don’t seem to be the priority for local
authorities,” his friend Joy added.
Despite several cleanliness drives and pumping hundreds of
millions of rupees into the Yamuna Action Plans, the city of Taj remains virtually deluged in heaps of
garbage.
The Old
City continues to stink
and emit a strange odour, which many visitors say is nauseating.
“During winter, the pollution from vehicles, plus the gases
released by choked sewer lines, the dusty ambience due to lack of moisture and
the thick envelope of fog, all gel together and create a dangerous mix for
those suffering from respiratory disorders,” medical professional Suraj Kumar
said.
The municipal health department blames the illegal dairies in
congested colonies for the stink.
However, Naresh Paras, an NGO functionary, gave many reasons for
the peculiar stink.
“There could be several reasons for the odour. The cattle sheds,
stray animals, the numerous illegal tanneries processing animal hides, choked
drains, overflowing sewer lines and of course the cultural habit of defecating
by the roadside.”
Last year, on persistent public demand, the Agra Municipal
Corporation opened eight public toilets on MG Road but the facility is still to be
made available to the people.
“People avoid using Sulabh Shauchalaya as no one wants to pay
for something that could be done for free. If you look at open drains and
railway lines early morning, you’ll see rows of people talking on mobiles or
chatting while relieving themselves,” comments activist Rajan Kishore.
The Agra Municipal Corporation, despite funds made available
under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNRUM), is still to
fully operate the waste processing unit in Kuberpur, across the Yamuna.
Each day, the city generates over 1,000 tonnes of garbage of
which only half is lifted and transported to the Kuberpur plant.
“The result is that heaps of garbage dumped at street corners
continue to attract mosquitoes and spread all kinds of diseases,” says activist
Sudhir Gupta.
Health activists feel Agra ,
which is dotted with historical monuments visited by millions of tourists every
year, needs at least one public toilet every kilometre.
Ved Gautam, a guide, said many tourists complain that even the
toilets maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the Taj Mahal
stink and remain choked.
Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage
Conservation Society, said: “The municipal corporation and other government
bodies have shown no interest in maintaining the existing toilets and cite
resource crunch as a major reason for not opening more.
He says one of the chief causes of river pollution in Agra is defecation along
the riverbank or street drains that open into the Yamuna.
The Agra Nagar Nigam has launched a scheme to convert all dry
toilets into flush washrooms for which Rs.2,000 has to be paid per family. But
over the years, despite the construction of thousands of permanent toilets,
people haven’t changed their habits.
“When there’s no water to drink or cook meals, how do you think
people would clean toilets,” wondered Shravan Kumar.
IANS
IANS
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