Airport raises stink as SMC removes garbage containers

SURAT: The Surat airport too is raising a stink as the urban planners in the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) have gone on a spree to remove garbage containers.
Along with over 1,000 garbage containers that were were removed from the city, the civic body also removed those from the airport premises. As a result, one can witness littering and filth strewn beneath the trees and open spaces at the airport these days.
Official sources said that the civic body had removed the containers without giving any prior intimation to the airports authority. In absence of the containers, the solid waste generated on the airport is collected in the garbage bags and kept at a dedicated spot outside the airport building for the SMC vehicles that collect them on daily basis. However, the door collection of garbage from airport is irregular and that the vehicle is not reporting on time.
Talking to TOI, airport director, Sanjay Kumar Panigrahi said, “The SMC may have taken a good measure to remove garbage containers from the city, but they should have intimated the airport before removing our garbage container. We can’t ask the passengers to generate less solid waste. Our staff have to literally wait for the garbage vehicles to collect the waste”
Panigrahi added, “I have asked the engineering department to construct a permanent garbage shed inside the airport premises. This will help in the proper storage of garbage and will facilitate the timely collection by the garbage vehicles of SMC”
Sneha Jalan, a passenger who was travelling to Delhi on Tuesday said, “The sight of garbage strewn in the airport premises is not a good sign for the city like Surat. Both the airport and civic authorities should ensure that the garbage is lifted and cleared on time”
A senior health officer said, “We have made our door-to-door garbage collection network strong after the containers were removed. The collection vehicles are going regularly on the airport to collect solid waste. However, it is time for the airport authority to place dustbins in the airport premises to prevent people from littering here and there”