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Residents across rural areas of Sargodha have accused the provincial cleanliness initiative, 'Suthra Punjab', of complete negligence as overflowing sewage, uncollected garbage, and worsening sanitation conditions continue to create hardships for local communities.
Villagers in Chak 90 South claimed sanitation workers have remained absent for months, leaving drains clogged and streets filled with waste, as reported by Dawn. According to Dawn, locals alleged that sewage water had begun seeping into the foundations of houses due to blocked drains, raising fears of structural damage and health risks. Residents said repeated complaints to the authorities have failed to produce any concrete action. Heaps of garbage remained scattered across streets because waste collection had effectively stopped in several neighbourhoods. Citizens in the PP-74 constituency also voiced similar concerns, claiming that sanitation workers have disappeared from duty for long periods in Sargodha. Some residents alleged that a handful of workers are instead deployed at the homes of influential or "favoured" individuals, while ordinary citizens were left to deal with worsening filth. Locals urged the Sargodha commissioner and deputy commissioner to immediately investigate the negligence of Suthra Punjab officials and restore sanitation services in severely affected areas. Responding to the criticism, Suthra Punjab spokesperson Mian Maqsood blamed residents for the worsening situation in the locality, arguing that people continued dumping garbage into drains despite repeated desilting operations. He further claimed that designated dumping sites in villages had been illegally occupied and replaced with buildings. However, officials acknowledged receiving complaints regarding negligence by certain workers, though supervisors were reportedly unavailable for comment, as highlighted by Dawn. Meanwhile, donkey cart owners staged protests and raised slogans outside the municipal corporation office against restrictions on entering the city, saying the ban threatened their livelihoods and resulted in harassment of cart drivers in the region, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)
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