Where's Swachh Hyderabad'? Old City doesn't have even dustbins

HYDERABAD: The administration is spending crores of rupees in the name of ‘Swaach Hyderabad’ yet the markets in the Old City lack dustbins to dispose of the garbage.

Disposing of an empty packet of chips or biscuits around the Charminar is the most difficult task for any person with some civic sense. The area has been turned into a pedestrian-only zone. A few thousand push carts and several shops line the stretch between Pathergatti and Charminar, branching out towards Lal Bazaar and Motigalli.

“Several tourists visit the place to purchase apparel, footwear, bangles and imitation jewellery. Tourists also buy chips, biscuits, ice-cream and fruits from local shops to eat. But there are no dustbins except in the Charminar monument and Mecca Masjid. People perforce have to throw refuse on the street,” complains Najeeb Mohammed, a shop keeper from Gulzar Houz.

There are many shoe stalls in the area and people often but new pairs of chappals and want to throw away the used ones. “Those with civic sense search for a bin, but there are none around and you cannot expect a tourist or visitor to carry it,” said another shop keeper.

In fact, the entire stretch at Laad Bazaar, Gulzar to Charminar and even the Sardar Mahal lane with the GHMC office has no garbage bins. The situation is no different at Patel market, Devan Devdi market, Mukarramjahi market and Shehran market, the locals complain.

According to GHMC authorities, garbage bins were kept at various points a couple of years ago but the local push cart vendors removed them.

“Our personnel sweep the streets around Charminar throughout the day and clean up the place. Soon we are going to put up 100 dustbins as part of the Charminar Pedestrian Project,” said a senior official of GHMC.