Piling rubbish forces UoP residents to relocate

Varsity officials say old trees are also being felled on the pretext of development

PESHAWAR: Garbage pileups and an accompanying unbearable stench apart from the felling of trees — owed apparently due to an internal feud between the varsity’s administration — has been forcing residents of the University of Peshawar campus to relocate.

A resident of the area, who is also a varsity official, told The Express Tribune that the residential areas of the historic campus have lately started to resemble a garbage heap. Over the past month, he said, they had lodged several complaints to have the garbage cleared, but to little avail.

With the varsity officials unmoved, the official said that several families, unable to bear the filthy surroundings and the stench, have shifted out of the campus.

Residents, he said, fear that the accumulated garbage could spread lead to a serious health issue.

To make matters worse, old trees around the campus — something which the area is known for — have been felled in recent weeks on the pretext of new construction and expansion.

“This university is famous for its historical trees, but now these trees are being cut illegally for ‘construction purposes’,” he said, adding that the university administration remains silent on this issue.



Another official, who did not wish to be named for fear of retribution from the varsity administration, claimed that the situation was the result of an internal clash in the university’s administration.

The official added that even the matter of the university’s beatification had been pushed to the back burner.

To make his point he pointed out that several key areas of the varsity including areas in front of the hostels, the Peshawar University Teachers Association (PUTA) Hall, the Administration Block, the Examination section and residential areas of the university were currently suffering as a result of the feud.

The official said that residents on campus have lodged several complaints with the sports director, who is responsible for cleanness on campus, but it has been to little avail.



Talking to The Express Tribune, PUTA President Arif Khan said that the authority responsible for ensuring cleanliness on campus have so far failed to clear the garbage dumps.

The PUTA president said that they had received several complaints, following which, they decided to tackle the matter and for the past three weeks, they had launched a systemic campaign to clean up the varsity.

Arif said that there were dozens of sweepers and gardeners in the varsity but the cleanliness situation was worsening day-by-day.

Moreover, he lamented that old and historic trees of the varsity were being felled in broad daylight while the administration has failed to take notice of the issue.



He said that PUTA warned the university administration that if a single tree in premises of the varsity is cut from now on, they would launch a protest against the varsity administration.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2018.