PMO takes note of students' plaint to clear garbage dump site

The Prime Minister's Office has asked Gujarat government to act upon the suggestion of building a science city on the garbage dumping site of Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) at Vadasar-Kalali road here after students of a school wrote to PM Narendra Modi complaining about its health hazards.
The suggestion came from a group of Class VIII students led by Ananya Garg of Delhi Public School here when she decided to write to the Prime Minister on the issue in July this year.
"Garbage has an adverse effect on the health of 1,200 students studying in the school and people living in the neighbouring areas. It contaminates the soil and environment as well. We request the authorities to kindly take a serious note of the situation and do needful for the area at the earliest," the letter to PM said.

"We students also have a suggestion. Once the dump site is cleared a beautiful science city can be built similar to the one in Kolkata. This would help make the place beautiful and a popular education centre," it further read.
"Should your good-self (Modi) permit, we would like to meet you and explain further details and our vision. We have been nurturing a desire and shall feel obliged if you support it," the letter, a copy of which was marked to Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, Vadodara Mayor Bharat Shah and Vadodara Municipal Commissioner H S Patel, said.
On receipt, the PMO took the matter seriously and wrote to the Urban Development and Urban Housing Department of the Gujarat government and asked it to take immediate necessary action as per prevailing act/rules/instructions in this regard.

Last month, on October 14, the department in a letter urged VMC chief to look into the grievance/complaint of the students.

The department also requested the civic commissioner to reply suitably and promptly to the applicant under intimation to this department and PMO, Rita C Jadeja Section Officer, Urban Development & Housing department of Gujarat government, today.
AK Sinha, Director DPS School today told PTI that they are still awaiting reply from the VMC in this regard.
Also, the students are ready with the science city project report/plan on building the science city subject to removal of the dumping site next to their school.