Inadequacies found in bioremediation process

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, June 1

MC Joint Commissioner Hardeep Singh on Wednesday conducted a surprise check at Bhagtanwala dump and found several inadequacies in the ongoing bioremediation process, segregation of garbage and waste management.

Residents of nearby localities of Bhagtanwala dump have been regularly complaining that the continuous burning of garbage due to uninterrupted fire creates air pollution and they were facing serious health issues.

The Joint Commissioner, along with municipal health officer Yogesh Arora, secretary Sushant Bhatia and officials of the solid waste management company Averda, reached at the dump site and found that the entire dumping ground was on fire.

“The officials of the solid waste management firm were claiming that it was due to the release of methane gas from the garbage, but it was not true. We found that instead of processing the garbage, the solid waste management company had set the garbage on fire. Only one machine was functional and there was no progress in the bioremediation project. Other machines were lying defunct,” Hardeep Singh said.

A notice has been issued to the solid waste management firm Averda in this regard. The team of MC officials found bones, carcass of cattle on the dumping ground. Residents often complain that dogs bring bones and carcass of cattle to the residential colonies. Heaps of garbage are founds outside the boundary wall, which is still incomplete. The Joint Commissioner issued directions to put the garbage inside the wall.

“The Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) has deployed a Solid Waste Manager (SWM) Pankaj Upadhyay to manage the dump. I issued strict notice to him. We will suspend him if he will not improve the functioning. I have asked to develop a green belt around the dump,” said Hardeep Singh.

He also expressed his dissatisfaction over the segregation of garbage as the private firm was not segregating the garbage.

Ironically, the fire tender was also missing from the dumping ground. A notice has been also served to the fire department about this.

Cow slaughtering suspected

The MC officials found a large number of carcass of cattle on the dumping ground. The officials suspect that the practice of cow slaughtering must be going on somewhere and they dump the carcass at Bhagtanwala. The Joint Commissioner asked the municipal health officer to keep a check on such practice and report.