Waste treatment likely to begin at Bhagtanwala from Sept 4

The long-awaited bio-remediation project to clear the garbage heaps at Bhagtanwala dump site has gathered momentum, with 90 per cent of machinery installation already completed. The project, undertaken by Ecostain Infra Company, is expected to formally begin operations from September 4.

According to officials, two trommel machines are to be set up at the site, of which one has already been installed while work on the second is underway. In addition, two poclain-ballistic separator machines have also arrived, and a weighing bridge has been fixed to record the daily waste processed.

As per the tender agreement, the company has been tasked with treating 11 lakh metric tonnes of waste within 15 months through bio-remediation. If work commences in early September 2025 as planned, the Bhagtanwala dump is expected to be cleared by March 2026. A drone survey conducted four months ago had revealed that the site contained 14.67 lakh tonnes of legacy waste. Since then, nearly 2.88 lakh tonnes of additional waste has been dumped, as the city generates approximately 500 tonnes of fresh garbage every day.

Additional MC Commissioner Surinder Singh said that the Municipal Corporation is closely monitoring the preparations. “The installation of machinery is in its final stages. Once completed, officers will inspect the site before operations officially begin. All activities are being supervised by the Health Department, and regular progress reports are being taken,” he said.

The project, initially scheduled to start on September 27, was advanced on the instructions of former MC chief Gurlpreet Singh Aulakh, who had directed the company to begin work in the first week of September itself.