Residents in the home district of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Sangrur are eagerly awaiting the November 4 ‘Insaaf Rally’ to be addressed by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Not because they are politically inclined or planning to join the Congress, but because they hope the high-profile visit, which usually attracts national media attention, will draw attention to the garbage being dumped openly in the area.Locals said that as streets continued to reek of stench, they hoped Rahul would raise the issue.Just a few hundred metres from the rally venue, residents claim that despite repeated representations to the authorities, the National Green Tribunal and senior government functionaries in Chandigarh, the issue remains unresolved.Brig Rajsher Singh Grewal (retd), who has repeatedly raised the matter with the authorities concerned, said it was shameful that locals were forced to live in such conditions.“Even more shameful is the fact that our younger generation has to pass through piles of garbage and stench every single day. Our district is AAP’s power centre and despite the CM, Finance Minister and AAP state chief being from here, garbage continues to mount. I think we have to file a public interest litigation to get some respite,” Grewal said.Despite the festive season, garbage could be seen along roadsides and near marketplaces. “We feel sad looking at scattered garbage and stray cattle feeding on it. Our requests to the district administration have fallen on deaf ears and we are hopeful that Rahul Gandhi’s rally brings some relief and the garbage is lifted,” said local RTI activist Kamal Anand.Further, residents and private garbage collectors have started burning plastic and solid waste in the open, triggering concerns over the already polluted air quality.Senior Congress leader Vijay Inder Singla said he had taken up the matter with the authorities several times, but little had been done on this front.Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Poonamdeep Kaur said tenders had been floated for better and quicker disposal of garbage.“I have summoned the Sangrur Executive Officer to ensure the daily clearance of designated garbage dumps,” she said.