NGOs, Sanjhi Sangharsh Committee join hands against setting up of waste mgmt plant

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 5

Prominent city-based NGOs and the Sanjhi Sangharsh Committee have joined hands to decide further course of action on the solid waste management plant proposed to come up in Amritsar at the cost of Rs 109 crore and its ill impact on the environment.

Representatives of 25 NGOs were apprised about the problem of Bhagtanwala residents due to dump yard through digital presentation at the conference hall of a hospital here on Sunday. They decided to fight for the cause under the banner “Save Sri Amritsar Sahib”.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Amrit Adhlakha stressed for segregation of waste before disposing it off. He said, “There can never be effective waste management unless the golden rule of waste segregation at source is followed and public awareness is created. Every resident has to be involved in proper waste management. Here, the government and officials of the local bodies have no vision to sensitise residents about segregating the dry and wet waste.”

Vice-president of the Sanjhi Sangarsh Committee Sanjay Sharma said they would convince the Punjab government to have the second thought before setting up the plant at Bhagtanwala.

Bhagtanwala site is located just 1.8 km away from the Golden Temple. “If 10,000 sq km area can be spared from any pollution for preservation of Taj Mahal, then why not for the Golden Temple, which is the holiest shrine. Except for verbal assurances by officials and politicians, nothing concrete has been done to resolve our problem,” said secretary of the committee, Anil Chopra.

Dr Prahlad Duggal, an activist of the Voice of Tobacco, said the problem was not limited to Bhagtanwala residents, but to all residents of Amritsar. He said, “The microbial decomposition of organic materials will produce methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and other microbial population organisms that are potentially pathogenic. It will also leave its negative impact on the quality of ground water.”

Dr Parminder Singh, a retired professor of GNDU, said no feasibility test was conducted by the government before it zeroed in on setting up the solid waste management plant at Bhagtanwala dump site. He said, “Health issues of residents seem to be the last item on the agenda of the government. We want that only the Supreme Court guidelines about setting up dump yard or solid waste management plant be followed.”