Awareness walk: Cleanliness campaign kicks off

Locals say Mingora has become dirty and congested.

MINGORA: A week-long cleanliness campaign kicked-off with an awareness walk from Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) in Mingora to office of the district administration on Tuesday.

“Presently, we are getting all stakeholders to take part in cleaning the roads and streets of Mingora and other major towns,” said Swat Deputy Commissioner Mehmood Aslam Wazir, who also participated in the walk. “We are also organising walks and sessions to create awareness among the public about keeping the bazaars and other areas clean.”

Social activists and locals said Mingora has become congested and dirty. They said the city needs to be cleaned so that its beauty is retained.



“I think Mingora is the most mismanaged city in all of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,” said Zahir Shah, a local. “There are two streams of water flowing but the negligence of the district administration and TMA has turned them into drains of dirty water.”

Although the present government has taken initiatives to clean the city, Zahir added, they would not be enough without a proper system.

However, Chief Municipal Officer Hayat Shah said long-term activities have been started to keep Mingora clean. “The public’s cooperation is most important in keeping a city tidy,” he said. “Mingora would very soon become clean and beautiful if the public teams with the relevant authorities.”

The officer appealed to teachers and parents to educate children about keeping their surroundings clean by not throwing garbage and plastic bags on the streets and in the drains.

The campaign has been organised by civil administration, the army, TMA and civil society under the supervision of the district administration.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2015.