Irate Kanpur residents throw corporator in garbage dump

 Frustration and anger of residents of Patelnagar locality here over unhygienic conditions prevailing in the area burst out on Tuesday and they threw the local corporator in garbage dump and held him hostage for more than an hour.

The angry residents allowed him to come out of the heap of garbage only after he pledged to get the locality cleaned within a couple of days.

Residents of Patelnagar were complaining to corporator Manoj Yadav and municipal corporation officials to lift the garbage from the locality as it was accumulating and turning into a huge pile. Drains of the locality were also overflowing. But no one paid heed to their complaints, claimed Ashok Shukla, Vinod Gupta, Sudama, Vinod Sharma and several other local residents.

Shukla said that the residents had lodged several complaints with the officials of Kanpur Municipal Corporation and corporator Manoj Yadav. A few residents had themselves cleaned the drains in front of their houses and piled the garbage and slush at one place.

In the afternoon, the residents saw Yadav roaming in the area. They caught him. He was abused and thrown in the garbage heap.

Yadav later told TOI that he was sending the sweepers to the locality since last five days for cleaning and lifting the garbage. Their supervisor had also been instructed by him but they do not pay heed. Yadav claimed that it was not his fault. "I was kept hostage for more than one hour in a heap of garbage. It was humiliating. I had performed my duties honestly. Anyone could check the instructions given by me to safai nayak ( lead sweeper)," he lamented.

Though sweepers and safai nayak do not take interest, I was punished into the garbage pile by the people. I have informed the KMC officers about the incident. They have assured to take steps for removing the garbage and clean the drains in the area, Yadav claimed.

The municipal commissioner is out of station. Mayor Jagatveer Singh Drona could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

KMC spokesman Rajeev Shukla tried to wash his hands off the incident by saying that the area doesn't fall under their jurisdiction. "Patelnagar is a society area which had not been adopted by KDA or KMC. Hence, the corporation could not do any major work in that area. However, the corporation used to send staff and workers for cleaning and removing of garbage. The KMC would look into the complaints of the residents."