Is this how we plan to conserve heritage?
Trash bins kept outside the masjid are empty while garbage is strewn all over
It’s the holy month of Ramzan and the mosques in the city are filled with devout offering special prayers. The Jama Masjid , built by Ahmed Shah I in 1424, witnesses the largest gathering of devotees opening their fast every evening by consuming fruits and sherbet. However, outside this World Heritage site , the ‘godliness in cleanliness’ looks compromised. Heaps of garbage — fruit peels, food items both wet and dry — greet passers-by.
The stench is unbearable, claim shopkeepers, and the eyesore attracts flies and mosquitoes, posing a health hazard to people. The mosque authorities have further installed barricades to prevent people from parking opposite the main entrance of the mosque. However, this ‘reserved’ area is being used as a dump yard. Every night, the AMC waste collection van collects the garbage thrown on the road soon after the Maghrib prayers in the evening when devotees open their fast.
Maqsood Vora, who visited the mosque, said, “Most of the people including myself ensure we throw the remains in the dustbins placed on the mosque premises after which they are cleared by the volunteers. The AMC must place a dustbin right outside the mosque so the waste can be neatly disposed of without it being thrown right on the road outside.”
Firoz Khalifa, 32, a businessman, said it was also the responsibility of the AMC to facilitate cleanliness outside the mosque. He said, “The AMC is well aware that a huge gathering takes place every evening at the mosque. The devout break their roza and relish their first meal of the day for one long month. The corporation should make a provision for a dustbin outside so people know where to put the remains of the fruits and other waste.”
Shaikh Maseeruddin said, “People ofAhmedabad who visit the mosque do not litter just anywhere. It is mostly the people who visit from outside the city that litter and spoil the World Heritage site. While we wish to preserve and maintain our heritage monument, there needs to be a collective effort from people as well as the civic body to ensure cleanliness and preservation of our heritage.”
Mukesh Gadhvi, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Solid Waste Management), AMC, said, “We have started cleaning the street outside Jama Masjid at night. Every night, we are undertaking cleaning from 11pm to 5 am to ensure that the area is spic and span. The reduced traffic at night also helps us in cleaning the spot properly.”
Saddaj Hira, Chairman of Gujarat State Waqf Board, condemned the garbage accumulation outside the mosque. He said, “Like we keep our house clean, people should be responsible and keep the mosque and its premises clean too. We should collectively care about our heritage monuments. The local caretakers must ensure cleanliness and maintenance of the mosque and its surroundings.”
The stench is unbearable, claim shopkeepers, and the eyesore attracts flies and mosquitoes, posing a health hazard to people. The mosque authorities have further installed barricades to prevent people from parking opposite the main entrance of the mosque. However, this ‘reserved’ area is being used as a dump yard. Every night, the AMC waste collection van collects the garbage thrown on the road soon after the Maghrib prayers in the evening when devotees open their fast.
Maqsood Vora, who visited the mosque, said, “Most of the people including myself ensure we throw the remains in the dustbins placed on the mosque premises after which they are cleared by the volunteers. The AMC must place a dustbin right outside the mosque so the waste can be neatly disposed of without it being thrown right on the road outside.”
A shopkeeper who runs his garment store near the mosque said on condition of anonymity, “We have requested the mosque authorities as well as the local corporators to put in place an effective waste management system. They were asked to hand over the waste collected on the premises to the AMC workers who clean up the road outside late in the night. However, they dump it on the main road. By the time the AMC collects the waste, the food remains packed in polythene bags thrown on to the road and animals feed on them.”
Firoz Khalifa, 32, a businessman, said it was also the responsibility of the AMC to facilitate cleanliness outside the mosque. He said, “The AMC is well aware that a huge gathering takes place every evening at the mosque. The devout break their roza and relish their first meal of the day for one long month. The corporation should make a provision for a dustbin outside so people know where to put the remains of the fruits and other waste.”
Shaikh Maseeruddin said, “People of
Mukesh Gadhvi, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Solid Waste Management), AMC, said, “We have started cleaning the street outside Jama Masjid at night. Every night, we are undertaking cleaning from 11pm to 5 am to ensure that the area is spic and span. The reduced traffic at night also helps us in cleaning the spot properly.”
Saddaj Hira, Chairman of Gujarat State Waqf Board, condemned the garbage accumulation outside the mosque. He said, “Like we keep our house clean, people should be responsible and keep the mosque and its premises clean too. We should collectively care about our heritage monuments. The local caretakers must ensure cleanliness and maintenance of the mosque and its surroundings.”
The corporation should make a provision for a dustbin outside so that people know where to put the remains of fruits and other waste.
Most of the people ensure they throw the food remains in the dustbins placed on the mosque premises after which these are cleared by the volunteers.
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