PLAYING WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH

PLAYING WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH

16-JULY-ENG 5

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-----------------------------The glorious Ramna Maidan, Ara of Bhojpur district, which has been a major centre of health benefits for the common citizens for years, is today becoming a living example of administrative neglect and negligence. Continuous flow of dirty water and excreta can be seen from the open tank of a toilet located at the eastern end of Ramna Maidan, openly next to the track. Ignoring this extremely serious situation is like playing with public health by the administration.

Every day hundreds of elderly people, women, youth and children come to this ground for morning walk so that they can live a healthy life. But due to the dirty excreta and urine flowing from this open tank of the toilet and the foul smell spreading, people are getting vomiting, dizziness, respiratory problems. Instead of avoiding the disease, people are afraid of the spread of the disease.

When the central and state governments are claiming health awareness with the help of slogans like Swachh Bharat Mission, Ayushman Bharat, Healthy Lifestyle, then this indifference of Bhojpur district administration is not only worrying but also condemnable. This scene not only hurts the dignity of Ramna Maidan, but also openly violates the “right to live a healthy life” granted by the Constitution.

Former Joint Secretary, Bar Association Ara and Advocate Pramod Kumar Rai expressed strong displeasure over this public health crisis and said that –

"If the administration was sensitive, it would have stopped this sewage flowing on the eastern end of Ramna Maidan by now. Citizens walking are forced to pass through dirt and foul smell. This is not only insulting, but also a warning of a serious health crisis."

It is clearly demanded from the administration that it should take immediate cognizance of this problem, close this open tank of the toilet as soon as possible or ensure its sewage management in a scientific and safe manner.

If the administration does not take immediate action, then this issue will become a subject of mass movement and legal action on a large scale, the entire responsibility of which will be of the district administration.