On MC assurance, residents end protest

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 22

Following the Municipal Corporation’s assurance to protesters, the latter let garbage lifting vehicles dispose of waste at the dumping ground in Dadu Majra.

On Wednesday, more than 100 garbage trucks/tractors were not allowed to throw the waste there. Residents demanded that the waste should be lifted by Jaypee’s garbage processing plant.

Mayor Asha Kumari Jaswal and Municipal Joint Commissioner Manoj Khatri, along with officials, rushed to the spot. They assured the protesters that they would raise the matter in the MC House meeting on June 30.

“We have been promised by the Mayor that the new firm will be assigned the job and that the company will lift the garbage. We will wait till June 30, if nothing changes, we will restart our protest outside the plant,” said Kuldeep Dhalor, president, Resident Welfare Association, Dadu Majra.

“The plant should be removed as soon as possible as the residents are suffering. Many have asthma, TB and other breathing problems. The dumping ground has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and flies. It is a virtual hell. We will heave a sigh of relief only after the plant is removed from here,” Tarsem Rana, ex-sarpanch, Dadu Majra, said.

Amid protests, the plant was shut down by Jaypee for repairs today. Company officials said machines had been damaged during the processing work. The residents said the firm had on purpose closed it as it did not want to process the garbage.

Chandigarh generates about 450 tonnes of waste daily. As per the MC, the firm takes only around 70 tonnes of garbage while the remaining is sent to the dumping ground. The company claimed that it processed about 200 tonnes daily.

Repair work on

Company officials said it would take them five to seven days to repair the plant. “Our engineer has assessed the damage. A sum of Rs 20 lakh will be spent on the work,” said plant in-charge Col KJS Sandhu (retd).