Fire breaks out in dry leaves, grass at historic Ram Bagh in Amritsar

A fresh controversy has erupted over the burning of dry leaves, branches and tree residue at the historic Ram Bagh, also known as Company Bagh. The 84-acre garden was established by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1819 in the name of Guru Ram Das.

The incident has raised concerns over alleged violations of waste management norms, air pollution, and potential damage to the city’s heritage and green cover.

The dry leaves, branches and tree residue generated inside parks are required to be shredded and scientifically decomposed into green manure. Compost pits and shredders have been provided for processing organic waste in accordance with waste management rules. However, instead of following the prescribed process, civic body employees are allegedly resorting to burning heaps of dry leaves and branches, resulting in smoke and air pollution.

On Saturday, the Fire Brigade rushed to the garden after receiving information about the blaze and doused the fire. The burning reportedly caused thick smoke to spread across the surrounding areas.

Despite repeated advisories by the pollution control authorities and the local administration against open burning, residents alleged that gardeners and sanitation workers continue to set fire to heaps of dry leaves and wild vegetation inside the historic park, creating smoke clouds that affect nearby areas.

Social activist Pawan Sharma said he had highlighted the issue a few days ago after noticing large heaps of dry leaves, grass and tree residue lying inside the garden. Instead of disposing of the waste scientifically, the accumulated material was allegedly set on fire.

He questioned the alleged double standards in enforcement, pointing out that farmers face penalties and legal action for stubble burning, while similar incidents of open burning within the Municipal Corporation limits often go unchecked.

Pawan Sharma alleged that repeated fires were damaging green trees, destroying vegetation and killing birds, insects and other wildlife inhabiting the park. He claimed that several trees had already been damaged by previous fires, while others had weakened significantly and could collapse, posing a safety risk to visitors.

The activists demanded strict action against those responsible for setting fire to dry leaves and vegetation in parks and gardens, besides ensuring that organic waste is processed through composting as mandated.

The site of the fire is located close to several important establishments, including the Namdhari Memorial, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) office, the historic Ram Bagh gateway and other government offices. The residents expressed concern that any major fire incident in the area could pose a serious threat to these heritage structures and public properties.