Garbage cleared from PU campus after sanitation concerns flagged

Panjab University employees clear garbage from the campus on Thursday.

A day after concerns over garbage accumulation at public spaces on the Panjab University (PU) campus were highlighted, sanitation workers were seen clearing waste and debris from the affected areas, bringing visible relief.

Cleaning work was carried out near the Student Centre (StuC), outside AC Joshi Library and around Boys' Hostel No. 6, where garbage and fallen branches had accumulated. Workers were seen sweeping the areas, collecting waste and loading it into a tractor-trolley for disposal.

A university official attributed the delay in garbage collection and disposal to the Diwali break. The official said tractors and rickshaws regularly operated on the campus for waste collection, despite a shortage of sanitation workers.

However, concerns over campus sanitation go beyond the recent accumulation of garbage. Despite the university issuing multiple circulars over the years prohibiting the use of plastic, straws, napkins and disposable items, their implementation on the ground remains a challenge.

The responsibility for maintaining cleanliness also rests with students and other campus occupants. Continued littering and indifference among some students towards public spaces further aggravate the problem.

"Students have become unbothered and indifferent towards their campus, which is the root cause of the problem. Lack of social consciousness makes way for normalcy around littering mindset," a university official said.

While the clearance of accumulated waste marks a positive step, regular garbage collection, effective enforcement of restrictions on plastic use and greater participation from the campus community remain essential to ensuring a clean university environment.