Garbage from Adityapur has found a new address — the banks of Kharkai, which is one of the major tributaries of Singhbhum’s lifeline Subernarekha. Two truckloads of domestic waste, equivalent to 400 cubic feet, are being emptied on the waterfront every day, turning the erstwhile oasis into an eyesore and olfactory challenge. The river, which many say derives its name from the Sanskrit word kharakaya meaning fast-flowing current, is, ironically choking on garbage precisely because the civic guardian of the industrial town’s over 2.5 lakh people lacks bare minimum civic sense. The Adityapur Municipal Council has embraced this malpractice for a year because it claims it has no other “viable option”, but residents who have been forced to boycott the riverbank are crying foul. “There was a time when the Kharkai banks were popular for a morning walk because of the fresh air we could breathe in. These days, we are even scared to venture on the road near the river because the ambience is so unhygienic. The place looks diseased and discomforting for months, let alone the stink,” said Ajay Srivastava, a businessman and resident of Road No-32 in Adityapur, hinting that the civic body was completely to blame for the mess. Some residents also said that they had lodged several complaints with the municipal council through ward councillors, but to no avail. Vice-chairman of the civic body Purendra Narayan Singh sounded too unfazed for anyone’s comfort. He said they dumped garbage on the riverbank because they had “no alternative”. “Actually, we are looking forward to the proposed solid waste management facility, which will come up at Khairbani in East Singhbhum. Till that time, the problem (dumping of garbage on Kharkai banks) will continue,” he told The Telegraph. He, however, quickly covered the slip-up, saying he would instruct council staff to dump waste a little away from the river. The erstwhile Adityapur Notified Area Committee (ANAC) used to dispose of garbage in isolated pits far away from the township and the water body. The practice was adopted when the Adityapur Municipal Council came into being in 2008. It was also diligently followed for two years. But then, mushrooming apartments triggered an acute land crunch and the civic body started using the Kharkai riverbank as its dumping ground. Jan Kalyan Morcha, a local NGO crusading for the health of the river, blamed the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) for failing to take action. “It is a matter of grave concern. During monsoon, the garbage will be swept into the river, polluting the water that people drink in Adityapur and its adjoining areas,” said NGO president Om Prakash. Since the Kharkai meets Subernarekha at Domuhani in Sonari, its polluted water is also a potential threat to people in Jamshedpur, he pointed out. The regional office of JSPCB said it was aware of the illegal practice. Regional officer R.N. Chowdhary claimed he had already served a notice in this regard to the municipal council. “We have asked the civic body to explain where and why the garbage collected from Adityapur is being dumped. The notice was served last month, but we are yet to get any reply,” he said. The regional office, he added, was thinking of approaching the headquarters for necessary action. JSPCB secretary Sanjay Sinha claimed that they were closely monitoring “activities along Kharkai” for the past one month and had served notices against slag dumping. “But municipal wastes are a matter of concern too. I have instructed our regional officers to be strict with anyone causing pollution and they are trying their best. However, I will once again take note of the current situation. I am personally taking special interest in this issue,” he added. Meanwhile, the four-member panel, which was constituted by Kolhan commissioner Avinash Kumar to probe the cause of pollution in Subernarekha, has failed to submit a report even after the 15-day deadline expired. “I am still waiting for the report on the basis of which corrective measures will be taken,” Kumar said. How can water bodies be saved from government negligence?