PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE / Dehradun
Just a few days of rain have once again exposed Dehradun’s drainage and garbage management problems, with locals reporting drains overflowing onto roads and garbage lying unattended in various parts of the city.
Many residents said that despite pre-monsoon drain-cleaning drives, several areas witnessed water accumulation after the recent rainfall. In some places, drains overflowed onto roads, while piles of garbage became soaked in rainwater, creating foul smell and unhygienic conditions. The garbage not cleared often gets carried into drains during rains, worsening blockages and increasing the chances of waterlogging.
Yashasvi Vishnoi said that wet garbage was lying in the parking area of Government Doon Medical college Hospital on Monday. “The garbage was lying there since morning. Once it gets wet, the smell becomes unbearable. It doesn’t look good, especially near a hospital. The citizens also need to play their part because many people still dump waste in open areas instead of handing it over to garbage collection vehicles,” she said.
The municipal commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey said that the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun has been carrying out drain-cleaning work and deploying sanitation teams across the city, but waste being thrown into drains continues to be a major challenge. “A lot of household waste ends up in drains and canals. Even after cleaning, the drains get blocked again. This is one of the reasons why waterlogging happens during rains.
The corporation is doing its work, but citizens also need to cooperate,” he said. Pandey said that sanitation teams have been instructed to continue cleaning operations and respond quickly to complaints related to blocked drains and garbage accumulation.However, locals opine that drain cleaning alone is not enough. They say that several localities still lack proper drainage infrastructure, leading to recurring waterlogging every monsoon. They have also demanded more frequent garbage collection during the rainy season to prevent waste from piling up.
