Garbage dumps common sight, parks ill-maintained in Chandigarh's ward 21

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 17

Residents of ward number 21 complained of ill-maintained parks and garbage dump at different points even as councillor Gurpreet Singh Dhillon claimed to have fulfilled all promises mentioned in his 2016 poll manifesto.

The ward comprises Sectors 32 and 46. Some garbage dump points like one behind the Sector 46 market and a ‘sehaj safai kendra’ (SSK) outside SD College, Sector 32, always overflowed in the five years of Dhillon’s term.

Jagdeep Mahajan, president of Joint Residents Welfare Association, Sector 32-33, said, “Neighbourhood parks are in a bad shape. Swings and tracks are broken in many parks. The condition of the one in Sector 32-A is the worst. A fountain set up in a Sector 32-D green belt, in front of SD College, has been lying defunct. It’s wastage of money.”

“Besides, dumping of garbage at a non-designated site near Saupin’s School is an eyesore and causes foul smell. Despite complaints, the waste always remains scattered around the SSK and it spills on to the road. It’s a problem not only for residents but also for students who have to bear with the sight of an unhygienic site.”

Garbage is a problem being faced by residents of Sector 46 too. Rajinder Garg, president of Residents Welfare Association, Sector 46, lamented, “Our biggest problem is garbage yards at different points. When we complain to the sanitation company’s staff to clear it, they claim they have responsibility of cleaning the 5-ft area from roads. The councillor has been ineffective in getting such spots cleared.”

“As far as parks are concerned, swings are broken and open-air gyms not maintained. We wonder at the quality of the equipment. At the time when dengue cases were rising, no fogging was done in our sector,” added Garg.

Residents also raised the issue of poor sanitation at the Sector 46 ground on the following day of ‘apni mandi’. “I have written to the authorities to organise mandi only on Friday. On Wednesday, ‘apni mandi’ should be held in Sector 32. Otherwise, sanitation issues would remain despite cleaning of the area,” said Gurpreet Singh Dhillon, the councillor.

However, his promise of setting up a Sampark centre is still in the pipeline. “It has been approved by the UT Administration and land has been earmarked near the ‘Bijli Ghar’. The work was delayed due to Covid and will start soon,” he said.

He said, “Maintenance of parks is not an issue. We are getting the open-air gym equipment repaired from the company that had set it up. We have a maintenance contract with them.”

About the councillor

Gurpreet Singh Dhillon is a first-time councillor. Under the new ward delimitation to be effective from the upcoming elections, the ward has Sectors 46 and 45. Dhillon plans to contest from the same ward only. He has been one of the most vocal councillors during MC House meetings.

Gurpreet Singh Dhillon: BJP councillor from ward no. 21

Area: Sectors 32 and 46

Ward development fund:

Almost all utilised

Promises: New projects and maintenance of the ward

Result: Partly kept

Achievements claimed

• Set up 13 open-air gyms
• Sector 46 sports stadium upgradation
• Upgraded Sector 46 community centre
• Road recarpeting, tiles put up in the ward
• Toe wall constructed in parks, work on illuminating dark spots started
• Sewage pipeline work on in EWS houses, Sector 32

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