NGOs come together to launch Save Amritsar Sahib campaign

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 30

Several city-based NGOs, environmentalists, and representatives of some political parties have joined hands to fight against the state government’s proposal to set up solid waste management plant at Bhagtanwala in Amritsar. This decision was taken during a programme organised at a hotel here today.

They have conceptualised a campaign titled “Save Amritsar Sahib” in which the activists would spread awareness for preserving the environment and maintain sanitation for healthy living.

The residents’ conceptualized the “Save Sri Amritsar Sahib” campaign after the city was ranked 430th out of 476 cities in India in terms of cleanliness. This apolitical movement seeks to bring under its umbrella different NGO’s, members of political parties and residents. In today’s meeting the focus was on the Bhagatanwala garbage dump and the plan of the Punjab Government to build a waste management plant there. The session was addressed by Gurjeet S Sekhon, former district governor of Rotary International and Dr Kiran Sandhu from Guru Nanak Dev University.

A power point presentation during the programme highlighted the plight of the residents of Delhi and other metro cities, who were living in the vicinity of the solid waste management plants, besides the adverse affects on the health of their family members due to pollutants emitted by these plants. Several clippings of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh were also shown to the gathering.

Sanjay Kumar, an affected resident, said, “A candle march will be held next week under the banner of the joint campaign to acquaint residents with health hazards of solid waste management plant.”

Representatives of NGO’s, who were present on the occasion, include Lions Club, Mission Agaz, Voice of Amritsar, Sanjhi Sangarsh Committee, Sur Taal Foundation, Eco-Amritsar, Umeed, Punjab Welfare Organisation, Punjabi Jagrau-Media, Barkat Welfare Society, Amritsar Vikas Manch, Dara Housing Corporation, besides members of AAP, Congress and SAD.

While addressing the audience, Gurjeet S Sekhon highlighted the historical perspective of the problem. He said the authorities started dumping garbage at Bhagtanwala in 1999. At that time, there were 23 sites in Amritsar, but all were closed and the entire garbage was dumped at Bhagatanwala.

If the Municipal Corporation gives clearance to the shortlisted firm for set up processing project at Bhagatanwala site, the clearance of site itself can take more than four years. The work on the project cannot start before 2019-20. This means residents will have to suffer more due to garbage nuisance.

The dump is located adjacent to Asia’s biggest food grain market. Earlier, the committee had filed a PIL No. 2032/06 in the High Court in 2006 for shifting of the garbage dump from its present location at Bhagtanwala.

Both the keynote speakers contended that it could damage the Golden Temple and surrounding sarovars. The Pollution Control Committee, an NGO, had filed an appeal before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on behalf of the aggrieved Bhagtanwala residents that the site for setting up the solid waste management plant never complied the stipulated Municipal Solid Waste (MSW-2000) norms as it was surrounded by scores of residential colonies.

Dr Kiran Sandhu pointed out that her research had shown that Bhagatanwala dump was inadequate for putting up a solid waste management plant. She said dump was wreaking havoc on the people’s health and the incidence of mortality rate was high in the surrounding area. There was need for door-to-door collection of garbage, she added.