Volunteers clean up cemetery

The residents of Jhanda Chichi, an old locality under the jurisdiction of Cantonment Board Chaklala, have set a fine example of self-empowerment by conducting a thorough cleanup of a rubbish-strewn 250-year-old cemetery.

The cemetery had been a garbage-dumping ground for the last 50 years, piling up steadily over half a century until the real purpose of the place was threatened by the overwhelming heaps of waste.

Around 70 residents of Jhanda Chichi—comprising youngsters, students and the elderly—worked day and night to get rid of a total of 12 tonnes of rubbish with their own hands. Once done with cleaning, they proceeded to plant over 2,000 different types of saplings and plants in the cemetery.

Gravediggers also reportedly played a key role in the cleanup and tree-planting activities.

The conclusion of the entire operation revealed the existence of 83 old and long-forgotten graves, which were then respectfully cleansed and restored.

Cantonment Board Station Commander Brigadier Salman Nazar and Solid Waste Management Chief Ajmal Sabir hailed the cleanup drive and commended the youth of Jhanda Chichi for their proactive approach.

They expressed hope that similar campaigns will be undertaken by more youngsters in the vicinity of all 55 cemeteries in Rawalpindi and pledged full cooperation of their sanitation staff to aid them in their efforts. The Jhanda Chichi cemetery, an old burial spot spread over a wide expanse, is unrecognisable after being tidied and spruced up. Previously, if a new grave had to be dug, the families of the deceased had to make arrangements for cleaning up the chosen spot painstakingly before preparing the grave.

Several boards have now been installed in the cemetery to warn litterers against resuming their garbage-dumping spree in the burial ground.

Haji Iqbal, an 80-year-old resident of Jhanda Chichi, said that the general disarray and downfall of hygiene in the graveyard had opened up a lucrative avenue for drug and liquor peddlers, who have now thankfully been driven away after the cleanup operation.

Arif Shah, 65, said he was proud of the precedent set by the young lot of Jhanda Chichi, praising them for converting the stench-infested pile of garbage into a pleasant-scented spot.

“Whenever it rained, the stink used to increase manifold,” said Shah. “Now the fragrance of flowers and incense sticks is spread throughout the area.” Ali, one of the youngsters involved in the cleanup, said that the volunteers refused to rely on anyone for help and took up the task to tidy up the graveyard themselves.

“We did not take any donations,” he claimed. “Now that the place has been cleaned up, we have also made arrangements for the cemetery to be guarded against any future littering. We are glad that the residents have realised that cleanliness makes up half of our faith and are now using waste bins to dispose of their garbage.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2022.