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I
read a news article this evening that after
inspecting water clogged Patna, our beloved CM,
Mr. Nitish Kumar, has ordered a total ban on the
use of Plastic bags. I could not understand the
stupidity of this decision. Seems like the
mentality of having a pain in your hand and
chopping it off. To find a real solution, the
problem has to be identified correctly. The main
problem is that no janitor or cleaning staff of
Patna Municipal corporation is working. If they
will work, there will be no pile up of garbage.
Instead of punishing them, our CM is thinking to
reward them. Don't do your job, take your pay as
if you are doing your job, and when your lack of
work becomes apparent, the job will be made
easier.
The solution is first educate the people about
how to use Plastic Bags, and do not throw your
garbage anywhere you want. Place receptacles for
garbage where people can access them. Make a
place in each community where people can throw
their garbage, and every morning, Patna
Municipal can come and clean before 6am. Also
please do not throw your garbage before 8 p.m.:
this way Patna will be clean and when people
will wake up in the morning it will be clean,
too. The same time it is also the duty of Patna
Municipal corporation to make sure its staff can
work on regular basis, not only when there is a
huge pile of garbage.
We have also seen staff is always on strike and
do not work. When they are on duty, they do not
come to their assigned work, but instead working
other job, only showing to get their pay check.
Privatize the job and pay only for verifiable
work, on a daily basis. Make the community
responsible to check if they coming to clean or
not. Make it easy to call and complain, and make
sure that if complaints are received, they are
actually followed up on. If the complaints are
valid, then there should be a consequence in pay
checks. You do not come to work for a day, you
lose a day's pay. Simple.
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Comments: |
I
don't think banning plastic bag will
make Patna clean either. First,
there is a need to overhaul the
complete drainage system of Patna.
In Patna if you are drinking tap
water, you can be sure that it is
mixed with open sewage.
I also don't agree with Mr. Anwar
about putting the blame completely
on municipal workers. Your
government can only do so much.
People of Patna are very much to
blame. The real problem lies in
people's habit. People of Patna have
become used to living in filth. They
don't consider living in filth bad.
But bending down to pick up a piece
of garbage is below their dignity.
There are some people in Patna who
may want a cleaner city. But they
will not lift a finger to keep city
clean. People of Patna dispose
garbage at will. Even if a garbage
dump is in area, they will not walk
up to the dump.
If you go to Patna, three things you
cant help noticing. People will spit
wherever they wish to. People will
urinate wherever they find a wall or
open space. Also, throw garbage
wherever they are sitting or
standing.
In Patna, any empty lot becomes a
garbage dump. The whole
neighbourhood will dump their trash
there. There are nursing homes in
every second lane in Patna and I
have seen all kind of medical waste
thrown around next to their
buildings.
People can help themselves and
become responsible citizens. They
can get together and clean their
neighbourhood or collect some money
and start cleanup operation for
their own area.
Late DIG A. K .Singh had started a
cleanup routine for his
neighbourhood in Hanuman Nagar. I
remember him telling me that he got
cooperation from only 20% of his
neighbours and rest of the people
thought he was not in his right
mind.
I have spent my childhood in Patna
and remember a cleaner city. But now
a days Patna is the dirtiest city in
whole of Bihar. I have seen cows
eating plastic bags from garbage
dump. I am a proud Bihari but I feel
ashamed to see the condition of the
capital.
Only way Patna will be clean if
people change there habits in all
respect. No spitting, no urinating,
or no throwing garbage in public
place. They have to check themselves
and stop doing these things.
No law or no municipal worker can
help keep the city clean if people
don't change their habits and
mindset. – Anita Saxena, Canada -
June 12, 2006
I
have just read comments of Mr. Anwar
and Ms Anita Saxena (Canada) on
plastic bag and civic sense. In my
opinion, comments of former is
one-sided giving liberty to
Patna'ites to throw plastic bags, a
potential source to choke highly
under capacity drainage system of
Patna, wherever and whenever they
like and expect Patna Municipal Corp
(PMC) to collect and dispose them.
On the other hand comments of the
later is definitely vast more
constructive. But the matter is not
as simple as it appears. On careful
consideration, workshop organized by
Automobile Association of Eastern
India, Patna Branch (AAEI) on
'Traffic hazards, road safety and
allied infrastructure developments
of greater Patna - vision 2015' has
strongly recommended for a suitable
law to prevent use of polythene bags
because of choked drains.
Some bold initiatives are required
from Patna'ites as well as by the
new CEO of PMC Mr. Atul Prasad.
Patna'ites require a forum. Since
AAEI, S. P. Verma Rd.
(91-612-2222454) has already taken
the initiative, it can well be
utilized as a forum.
I have read comments of Mr Anwar and
Ms Anita at Sunnyvale, California
while on personal visit to the USA.
I wish that more and more people
could come forward who want a much
better Patna. I'm sure good days are
ahead. - Tarun Kumar Sinha - June
12, 2006 |
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