Hyderabad stinks of Apathy
Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, which is supposed to be a symbol of cleanliness, remains a sign of the apathetic attitude of the system. The very entrance to the head office of the municipal body (CC Complex), located at Tank Bund Road, where the public relation section is situated, greets visitors with a stink emanating from the leaking drains of the building.
Few officials, particularly those behind the reception, and the public relations group that looks after the media, are compelled to work from the place. A GHMC official, who is forced to sit breathing in the stink every working day, said, “The drainage system in the building was constructed years back. Even though sanitation workers tried to fix it, the stink continues to exist. The workers say it needs complete replacement, for which funds are required. The problem has been going on for years.”
Officials and staff of the GHMC, who are forced to work from the area, have become so immune to the stink that they do not realise the intensity of the stink, unless a visitor to the office reacts to it.
Meanwhile on Thursday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched and participated in the “Swachh Bharath” campaign, workers failed to sweep the roads and lift garbage from various parts of the city.
Venkat Reddy, a resident of Bapunagar, Chintal, said, “The garbage bin in our area has been overflowing since the last three days and it was not emptied despite phone calls; now the residents have started dumping garbage in the open, along the road sides, and pigs and dogs can been seen around the dump.”
Meanwhile Most AP staff skip oath taking
While there are over 2,000 employees working in various departments of the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat, and despite a circular being issued by the government inviting all employees to take the pledge, only a 100-odd employees participated in the “Swachh Bharat” programme in the AP Secretariat on Thursday. Nearly a dozen IAS officers were present and they took up brooms and swept the roads, Officials said the festival season could have affected the attendance of the staff.
Lingaraju Panigrahi, IAS, special chief secretary to the government administered the pledge in Telugu to the officers and staff of the Secretariat in the “L” Block. Senior IAS officers Rajeshwar Tiwari, principal secretary, general administration department, L.V. Subramanyam, principal secretary, health and family welfare, B. Sam Bob, principal secretary, roads and buildings, Manmohan Singh, principal secretary, home, A.N. Das, political secretary, irrigation, D. Sambasiva Rao, principal secretary, infrastructure and municipal administration, were present as well amongst other IAS officers.
Osmania General Hospital building a shame
While hospitals are expected to maintain high standards of cleanliness, the Golden Jubilee Building of the Osmania General Hospital is a showcase of improper maintenance and unhygienic conditions that could be the origin for many diseases. Untreated medical waste, including syringes, saline bottles and plastic leftovers, are dumped at a spot and they are not removed for days together.
Even the drainage pipes of the block leak and the water collects in this area. Sadly, many patients are housed adjacent to this spot. The hospital toilets, that are right behind this extremely unhygienic area, are also leaking and emanate a foul smell.
Osmania General Hospital building