Bio-remediation work at Bhagtanwala reviewed

Amritsar South MLA Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar inspected the bio-remediation project at the Bhagtanwala dumpsite on Saturday. He claimed that nearly one lakh tonnes of legacy waste had been successfully treated and cleared from the site.

Nijjar said the work is progressing rapidly and is being closely monitored to ensure timely completion. He added that the project is crucial for improving cleanliness and environmental health in Amritsar. According to him, around one lakh tonnes of waste has already been processed, while nearly 350 truckloads of bio-remediated material, soil and segregated plastic have been removed from the site. Additional machinery and technical teams have also been deployed to accelerate operations.

Officials of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation and technical staff briefed the MLA on ongoing progress and future targets. Local Aam Aadmi Party leaders and workers accompanied Dr Nijjar during the visit. He said fulfilling this commitment to residents remains his top priority, adding that the project’s completion will significantly improve air quality, environmental conditions and public health in the surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) continued its district-wide campaign to curb the burning of municipal solid waste (MSW). As part of its daily awareness drive, sensitisation sessions were conducted at Majitha and Ramdas on Saturday.

Assistant Environmental Engineer Sukhamani Singh addressed community facilitators, motivators and sanitation workers in both municipal councils, highlighting the severe health and environmental risks posed by burning garbage. Twenty-one sanitation workers took part in the Majitha session, while 15 attended in Ramdas.

He stressed the need for zero tolerance toward MSW burning and urged strict adherence to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, particularly waste segregation, timely collection and scientific disposal. The PPCB said such awareness and enforcement activities will continue across all urban local bodies in the district to ensure effective ground-level implementation and timely redress of public complaints.