Dehradun: The persistent problem of garbage dumping on a stretch of Raja Road in Paltan Bazaar, famously referred to as 'Kooda Gali', continues to plague the bustling market area, with heaps of waste obstructing movement despite authorities' assertions of daily cleaning.
Residents and Shoppers Raise Concerns
Local residents have expressed frustration over the worsening situation, particularly during rainfall when waterlogging and decomposing waste create hazardous conditions for both pedestrians and vehicles. The dumping site also attracts stray animals and insects, further adding to the discomfort.
Shopper Shilpi Devi lamented, "It's difficult to walk through the area, and the foul odour only makes it worse. More awareness should be spread among shopkeepers so that garbage is not dumped here." She emphasized that given the high footfall in the market, the stretch should be cleaned on a priority basis.
Balwant Singh, a long-time resident, noted that the problem has persisted for years. "The stretch is never clean. I have been living here for decades and have always seen workers dumping garbage collected from nearby areas here," he said.
Shopkeepers Point to Municipal Issues
Shopkeepers have highlighted that Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) vehicles arriving during business hours to clear waste only add to traffic congestion. "The cleaning vans do not come every day. And when they do, they cause heavy traffic in the area," a shopkeeper stated.
However, ward councillor Pramod Gupta defended the municipality, stating that a DMC vehicle clears garbage from the area every morning. "Waste from nearby areas such as Paltan Bazaar, Sabzi Mandi, Gandhi Road, and Dispensary Road is also dumped here, so the volume of garbage itself is a challenge," Gupta explained. He added, "Some residents and shopkeepers also dump waste here to avoid paying for door-to-door garbage collection services."
The situation remains a significant civic issue, with residents calling for more effective waste management and awareness campaigns to address the chronic problem in the heart of Dehradun's market district.
