Panchkula: Despite scoring a perfect 100 in the ‘Cleanliness of Markets’ category in the recent Swachh Survekshan rankings, the actual state of several key markets in Panchkula paints a very different picture. Garbage dumps, vagabonds occupying public spaces, and unsanitary conditions raise serious questions about the survey’s credibility and ground assessment.Ground reality contradicts the survey results. In Sector 16, near a gym, Sector 7, and at the back of showrooms in Sectors 8 and 9, among others, garbage is strewn openly, with stray animals feeding on the waste. Sector 5, the city’s commercial downtown, also suffers from long-standing sanitation issues. Garbage is dumped at the back of showrooms, and debris is also present. Jhuggis are set up in one of the sectors.Perhaps one of the most glaring cases is the Sector 17 market, where a permanent garbage site continues to cause public nuisance. According to local shopkeepers and residents, the garbage collected from neighbouring colonies is dumped in the market area, leading to foul odours, fly and mosquito breeding, and deteriorating health conditions.“We are residents and shopkeepers of Sector 17, and the garbage dump here is making life unbearable. The stench, the health hazards, and the reduced customer footfall have badly hit our business and quality of life,” said a written complaint submitted to the Municipal Corporation Commissioner last month. The complaint also points out that rainy days make the situation worse, with waterlogged garbage spreading across shops and walkways.Mohit Gupta, founder of Solution Box, expressed concern over the parameters used in the market cleanliness survey. “Out of the 11 indicators and parameters, we can safely give reasonably good scores on three of the indicators: sweeping, yellow spots, and red spots. The rest of the 8 are relatively low on scores and are at best 50 percent, and therefore the market cleanliness head can in no way qualify for a 100 percent score,” he commented. “Key indicators that define market cleanliness include back lane sanitation, absence of open bins, and garbage hotspots. Most markets in Panchkula fail these criteria,” he added.The presence of vagabonds openly cooking, bathing, openly defecating, throwing waste in the open, and living in various marketplaces further detracts from any image of urban cleanliness. It adds to the insanitary conditions. In fact, a large number of shanties have been set up in the Sector 14 market.Vagabonds are permanently staying in the corridors of unauctioned booths and other open spaces here, even as other parts of the market are running from here. Open defecation, which is one of the assessment components, is rampant here.Yet, none of these issues seemed to have been captured during the Swachh Survekshan assessment. Residents and business owners now urge the authorities to reassess the cleanliness situation on the ground and relocate major garbage collection sites away from commercial and residential areas to restore sanitation and livability.(Photos Nitin Sharma)
