Kanpur’s Ramganga Canal Turns Garbage-Filled, Raising Questions Over Smart City Claims

Kanpur is being described as a Smart City, but pictures of the Ramganga Canal are raising serious questions about those claims. The city’s largest canal has now turned into what looks like a garbage dump, with the images showing a stark difference between the claims made in the name of a Smart City and the reality on the ground.

The canal passes through Ratanlal Nagar, CTI, Barra and Saket Nagar. It is filled with garbage, polythene and dirt at several spots and is waiting to be cleaned. The condition of the canal is causing major problems for people living in the surrounding areas.

The stench from the canal has made life difficult for local people. They say the Municipal Corporation shows cleanliness only on paper, while the situation on the ground is completely different.

With Chhath Puja approaching, questions are also being raised over when the administration will remember its cleanliness campaign. Local people say that perhaps the canal will be cleaned by then. Until that happens, the garbage-filled canal continues to expose the gap between Kanpur’s Smart City claims and the reality visible in areas including Ratanlal Nagar, CTI, Barra and Saket Nagar.