Muzaffarabad [PoJK], November 29 : The worsening sanitation crisis in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) has sparked widespread outrage among citizens, who accuse the Pakistani-backed administration of negligence and failure to maintain even basic cleanliness.
Streets filled with uncollected garbage, blocked roads, and unbearable stench have turned daily life into a struggle for residents.
Locals say that the garbage has been piling up for nearly a week without any response from the authorities. In a video recorded from the scene, residents Irshad and Roshan Khan can be heard describing the appalling conditions.
"This garbage has been lying here for the past four to five days. No one comes to clean it," Irshad said, pointing to heaps of waste spilling onto the road. "The road is closed, and traffic has been jammed since morning," he added.
Roshan Khan expressed similar frustration, accusing the local administration of incompetence. "No one has informed the management. They don't even know, or maybe they don't care. It's been a week, and not a single person has come to collect the garbage," he said.
The unattended waste has not only caused severe traffic congestion but also created an unbearable environment for nearby residents. "The smell of rotten vegetables and fruits is intolerable. The environment is getting polluted. We are forced to live in filth," Roshan stated.
Irshad further added that the issue has affected livelihoods. "We used to earn enough, but now business is down. People avoid coming through this road because of the stench," he stated, demanding swift action from the authorities.
Despite repeated complaints, no sanitation workers or municipal teams have been deployed to the affected areas. Citizens say this reflects the deeper administrative decay in PoJK under Pakistani control, where civic management remains neglected, and public welfare is routinely ignored.