Lucknow: Strong opposition has emerged in Jankipuram against the municipal corporation’s proposed waste processing plant near the Sahara State Road crossing. Hundreds of local residents, women and social activists gathered outside the existing garbage collection site and nearby temples on Monday, raising slogans against the municipal authorities.
The protesters objected to the location of the proposed plant, arguing that it is situated in a densely populated residential area and immediately next to two old temples. They said the project could pose concerns related to public health, sanitation, traffic and the overall environment of the neighbourhood.
Vivek Kumar, president of the CPWD Residents Welfare Committee, said setting up a waste processing plant next to centuries-old temples in the middle of a densely populated locality was inappropriate. He said several residential colonies were located close to the garbage site and that residents feared the facility could create long-term health and environmental problems.
S.K. Gupta, president of the SBI Colony Welfare Association, said residents had been demanding a park at the site for several years. Instead, he alleged, the municipal corporation had constructed a public toilet and a facility for storing dumped waste, ignoring the demand of local residents.
Renu Agnihotri, head of Jayati Bharatam Divyang School, highlighted the traffic concerns. She said thousands of vehicles use Sahara State Road every day and the area already witnesses traffic congestion. With several schools and hospitals located along the road, she said increased movement of garbage trucks could further raise the risk of accidents and traffic disruption.
Mukesh Gupta of Jankipuram Garden Parivar said residents had consistently sought a park where children could play and senior citizens could walk. He maintained that the community wanted a park at the site and would not accept a waste processing facility in its place.
Through the protest, local organisations and residents urged the municipal corporation and the state government to immediately halt construction of the proposed waste processing plant and shift it to a non-residential location.
The protesters warned that if the project was not stopped, the agitation would be intensified in the coming days.
