Ghaziabad Residents Protest as Drain Cleaning Leaves Silt Piled on Roads for Days
Residents across Sahibabad, Indirapuram and Vaishali have raised serious questions about municipal functioning after recent drain-cleaning operations left substantial amounts of silt and debris piled on roadsides for multiple days without proper disposal. The situation has created environmental hazards and public inconvenience in several key areas of the city.
Multiple Locations Affected by Improper Waste Management
Concerned citizens have specifically identified problematic spots near the passport office, throughout the Sahibabad industrial area, and along roads in Vaishali Sector 2-A where extracted waste from drains has remained completely unattended. In the Sahibabad industrial zone, drain cleaning activities have resulted in waste and construction debris being dumped directly onto green belts that are meant to provide environmental benefits to the community.
"Apart from roadsides, now green belts are also being used to dump silt from drains. This is highly detrimental for the little green spaces left in our city," emphasized Akash Sharma, a resident of Loni who has witnessed the deteriorating situation firsthand.
Another local resident expressed frustration about the apparent lack of proper waste management protocols, stating, "The waste extracted during the drain cleaning should have been collected and disposed of responsibly, but instead, it remains scattered across public spaces, creating both visual pollution and health concerns."
Compounding Problems and Environmental Concerns
The situation becomes significantly worse due to a troubling phenomenon where approximately 10 to 15 percent of the debris inevitably falls back into the very drains that were recently cleaned. This recontamination occurs through various means including rainfall, stray cattle movement, and regular vehicle traffic disturbing the improperly stored waste piles.
In Vaishali Sector 2-A, drains were reportedly cleaned approximately one week ago, yet the extracted debris continues to occupy footpath space even after recent rainfall events. Residents have expressed serious doubts about the effectiveness of these cleaning efforts, noting that much of the waste has likely been washed back into the drainage systems that were meant to be cleared.
"While some cleaning initiatives have taken place, others have reportedly been abandoned completely. At multiple locations, drain slabs have not been properly removed, and existing culverts remain neglected, further complicating the entire drainage issue," explained Puskar Singh, a concerned Vaishali resident. "We urgently need sustainable solutions that address both comprehensive waste removal and environmental preservation simultaneously."
Municipal Response and Ongoing Concerns
According to Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation officials, silt extracted from drains is intentionally left on roadsides for several days to dry before being collected for proper disposal. Authorities have stated that the collection process is currently underway and that issues raised by residents will be addressed systematically.
However, residents continue to urge immediate action from the GMC to rectify the cleaning process and implement more effective waste management protocols. The community emphasizes that temporary solutions create long-term problems, particularly when environmental spaces are compromised and drainage systems become recontaminated with the very waste that was meant to be removed permanently.
