<i>Keep it clean and green</i>

Photo: STAR

The city is gradually becoming dirty, chaotic and unusable. Most of the roads are found littered with items of all sorts. Overflowing foul stinking garbage lie uncared for days together. The uncovered drains remain clogged with garbage thrown by the shopkeepers, much to the dismay of the pedestrians. Construction materials, push carts, open garage, food stalls, paper stands, shops of all items from ready-made garments to shoe and slippers and undergarments, the list is endless, all occupy the footpaths, thus putting more pressure on the city roads. Shopkeepers throw all their rubbish on the roads. Kitchen and garden wastes are thrown aimlessly on the roads far away from the dustbins. Old, worn out, tattered banners and festoons remain displayed unnecessarily for months. The city roads should be made free of hawkers and vendors as the first step to keeping the city clean. Footpaths should be repaired and made user friendly. Haphazard and mindless parking of vehicles should be severely penalized. In order to ensure cleanliness, penalties of various grades should be implemented regularly. Mobile courts should identify the defaulters on a regular basis and award penalties. The shops should be penalized BDT 200. Similarly, residents should be penalized BDT 500, and commercial and industrial establishments BDT 1000 if litters and wastes are found outside their premises. The Dhaka City Corporation should also monitor cleaning activities routinely through the ward commissioners.
Mass awareness campaign regarding cleanliness should also be organised on a routine basis. Moreover, road island gardens should be maintained. There are many road islands still not brought under the tree plantation scheme. Ornamental /fruit bearing trees should also be planted on either side of the roads. The DCC should closely monitor the maintenance of road islands by different agencies.