The drains and canals in Ishwardi municipality became congested with plastic bottles, polythene and garbage.
A large number of flies and mosquitoes are being born in the drains and canals as these become favourable breeding ground for the mosquitoes and flies.
On the other hand, the drain water floods the roads if there is a small amount of rainfall as the drains are not being cleaned for a long time. There are a plenty of plastic bottles and polythene bags in the drains of the municipality. Some drains are covered with bushes as well. This correspondent found poor condition of the drains and canals when he visited Hospital road, Fatehmohammadpur, Babupara, Piyarakhali, Piyarapur areas and Upazila road in the municipality area.
There are allegations that although the drains were built spending a lot of money, they are not being cleaned on a regular basis. These drains have become breeding place for mosquitoes and flies due to that. Locals claimed that the municipality authorities were informed about the matter but they did not pay heed to the matter.
However, it was said from the municipality that there are cleaners to clean the drains, markets, intersections of various areas and residential garbage of the municipality area. Every day they collect the garbage at a fixed time and take them away by trucks.
Sources from cleaning department of the municipality said there is a lack of regular workers in the cleaning department. To keep the municipality town clean, 60 to 65 workers work on contract basis. In-charge of cleaning department Aliuzzamam Ruhel said it is not being possible to clean the large municipality area every day due to a lack of workers. Many people dump their garbage here and there instead of dumping them in proper places. So, cleaning work becomes inconvenient due to this. Still we try to keep the city clean, he added.
While visiting Piyarakhali area of the municipality, it was seen that the drains of the area were congested and the drain water was stagnant. Moreover, there were plastic bottles, polythene bags and other garbage in the water. It seemed that the drains were not cleaned for a long time. The drains in Babupara, Fatemohammahdpur, Hospital road, Upazila road and Piyarpur area were in similar condition. The drain adjacent to the boundary wall of Upazila road is covered with bushes. This correspondent found that the drains in other areas of the municipality area are in the same condition as well.
Sagor Hossain and Nimai Ray, residents of Piyarakhali area, claimed that the garbage in the drains and on roads are not cleaned on a regular basis. So, a large number of mosquitoes and flies born there. These mosquitoes and flies are entering in the houses. Moreover, insecticides and larvicides are not even sprayed to kill these mosquitoes and flies. The municipality don’t take any action even if they are informed. This situation is prevailing for a long time.
Regarding the plastic bottles and polythene in the drains, college teacher Mahbub Alam, a resident of Piyarapur said that the polythene bags are thrown away after using it just once. Polythene and plastic bottles are seen in the drains all the time. He said either using of polythene bags needs to be banned or the drains have to be cleaned every day to keep the drains free from polythene bags.
Regarding the matter, municipality Mayor Ishak Ali Malitha said that they have set up dustbins in various places of the city to keep the city free from garbage. There are fixed spots to dump the garbage in some places. Using loudspeakers, the municipality residents were asked to dump the garbage in fixed places. Plastic bottles, polythene are seen even after that. He said the cleaning workers are working ever day to keep the city clean. The drains will also be cleaned gradually very soon, he added.
