Ludhiana: Even as the Ludhiana district was self-declared as Open Defecation Free (ODF) last year, residents in slum areas in many towns of Ludhiana district do not have toilets and still go for defecation in the open.
An on the spot visit to slum areas in Khanna, Jagraon and Machhiwara areas of Ludhiana district brought to the fore the fact that people, especially the migrant workers, defecate in the open.
At Vinod Nagar in Khanna, which is located on the left side of the Khanna-Ludhiana railway line, there are around hundred workers living in the slum area. Here, some selected few have made three temporary toilets with cloth over the four wooden poles. But, most of the people defecate near the railway track.
“We have been living here for the last around 40 years. We have our voter cards and Aadhar cards as well. For the last many years, we have been hearing about toilets being constructed for us, but we haven’t seen any such plan being implemented on the ground. In the absence of toilets, our family members defecate in the open and that too near the dangerous railway line which sees a lot of traffic. Also, it is risky for females to attend to the nature’s call in the open,” said Salakhe, a 50-year-old labourer, who lives with his family in a makeshift hut.
As Salakhe was narrating the worst experience, Rani, a labourer, chipped in to assert that not only is it risky for them, but they have to suffer on health front as well.
“Our children fall sick frequently as they have to defecate in the open where thousands of mosquitoes breed. Water gets contaminated because of the filth in the area,” she said.
Around hundreds of people are living on the sides of a drain (in the canal) in Dashmesh Nagar in Jagraon. The residents here also complain of lack of toilets for them.
“Since we don’t have toilets in our slum area, we have to go to the nearby forest area to defecate. We have voter cards. Leaders come here for seeking votes during elections and promise better amenities, but they forget about it later. Toilets are important for us but we don’t have enough money and land to get those constructed. The civic body should get toilets constructed on their land so that we can use them,” said Daleep Paswan, a rag picker, who claims to have been living in the area for the last 40 years.
In Bali Beg area of Machhiwara, hundreds of slum dwellers don’t have toilets, whereas a selected few have got some toilets constructed for themselves.
Local sources said since the slum dwellers were living on the land illegally so they cannot construct toilets. They added that the civic body could get a toilet complex constructed under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, but due to unknown reasons, they have not got the toilets constructed.
An on the spot visit to slum areas in Khanna, Jagraon and Machhiwara areas of Ludhiana district brought to the fore the fact that people, especially the migrant workers, defecate in the open.
At Vinod Nagar in Khanna, which is located on the left side of the Khanna-Ludhiana railway line, there are around hundred workers living in the slum area. Here, some selected few have made three temporary toilets with cloth over the four wooden poles. But, most of the people defecate near the railway track.
“We have been living here for the last around 40 years. We have our voter cards and Aadhar cards as well. For the last many years, we have been hearing about toilets being constructed for us, but we haven’t seen any such plan being implemented on the ground. In the absence of toilets, our family members defecate in the open and that too near the dangerous railway line which sees a lot of traffic. Also, it is risky for females to attend to the nature’s call in the open,” said Salakhe, a 50-year-old labourer, who lives with his family in a makeshift hut.
As Salakhe was narrating the worst experience, Rani, a labourer, chipped in to assert that not only is it risky for them, but they have to suffer on health front as well.
“Our children fall sick frequently as they have to defecate in the open where thousands of mosquitoes breed. Water gets contaminated because of the filth in the area,” she said.
Around hundreds of people are living on the sides of a drain (in the canal) in Dashmesh Nagar in Jagraon. The residents here also complain of lack of toilets for them.
“Since we don’t have toilets in our slum area, we have to go to the nearby forest area to defecate. We have voter cards. Leaders come here for seeking votes during elections and promise better amenities, but they forget about it later. Toilets are important for us but we don’t have enough money and land to get those constructed. The civic body should get toilets constructed on their land so that we can use them,” said Daleep Paswan, a rag picker, who claims to have been living in the area for the last 40 years.
In Bali Beg area of Machhiwara, hundreds of slum dwellers don’t have toilets, whereas a selected few have got some toilets constructed for themselves.
Local sources said since the slum dwellers were living on the land illegally so they cannot construct toilets. They added that the civic body could get a toilet complex constructed under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, but due to unknown reasons, they have not got the toilets constructed.
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