Insanitary conditions mar Mansa Devi complex

PANCHKULA, MAY 31: Residents of the Sector 4, Mansa Devi Complex, are a harassed lot. With a colony of flats mushrooming in the sector, the residents allege that the district authorities have failed to provide appropriate sanitary facilities. The sector, which has witnessed a heavy rise of constructions in the town in the past couple of years, is yet to get its due attention from the district authorities. The huge open space in front of the colony of Army Flats developed by the Army Welfare Housing Organisation and Rail Vihar is used as dumping ground for garbage on a regular basis.

According to Sanjay Mishra, residing in one of the Army Flats, quot;Often dead cattle is dumped in the open space across the road in the dead of night and by morning the whole place has an unbearable stink.quot;

There is also a rising incidence of skin infections among the residents due to the growth of parthenium in the area. Vineeta Dutta, a housewife in Rail Vihar, said, quot;It is simply impossible to send children out to play since they come back with skin infections.quot; The place witnesses a great rush during festivals and religious functions owing to its proximity to Mansa Devi temple. S. Sharma, president of the AWHO8217;s Army Flats, says, quot;During peak festival season, there is tremendous rush here and very often people defecate in front of the flats.These matters have been reported to the district administration, but no action has been taken so far.quot;