In absence of dumping ground, piling waste turns Mohali roads into eyesore

At a time when city residents are busy getting their homes spick and span in time for Diwali, heaps

of garbage continue to pile up outdoors.

While the Municipal Corporation (MC) claims to pick garbage up regularly, the streets tell a different story. In particular, five spots in the city have turned into both an eyesore and a health hazard.

Residents living in the vicinity of Bal Gopal Gaushala in Balongi are among the worst-affected. Garbage is dumped right at the doorstep, filthy, unhygienic conditions and foul smell prevails even as cows stare at civic apathy.

An open ground alongside the road in Phase I is another aberration in an otherwise verdant locality. Residents and road users complain that all the garbage and vegetable waste generated from the nearby market is dumped at the road head in the hopes that an MC vehicle passing by may pick it up sooner or later.

Much like Phase I, the road near Madanpura village shows a stark contrast: one side of the road is neat and lined with greenery while the other is littered with tied sacks of garbage, construction material and household waste packed and dropped in plastic bags.

Local councillor and civic body officials lay the blame on the migrant population. Residents of the villages falling under the MC’s juridisction, however, say that the MC has simply abandoned the villages.

Littered garbage and a choked water body running under the bridge greets visitors as they approach the Shaheed Udham Singh Colony on Airport Road. Stray cattle looking for vegetable waste pose a threat to road users on the busy thoroughfare.

Residents face the brunt

Besides the civic body, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) too has faced criticism over the issue of garbage disposal. Despite several promises, it has not come up with its own garbage collection points yet.

The garbage dump near a residential area near in Sector 74 is another eyesore. House owners say the condition has deteriorated to a point where prospective tenants avoid the area, citing unhygienic surroundings.

Mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu said, “Garbage disposal is a serious issue concerning the health and well-being of residents. The problem is there is no place to dispose of garbage. We have met Local Government secretary and director urging them to provide a dumping ground as soon as possible.”

Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh, meanwhile, urged the Mayor to take the issue seriously, adding, “Mohali is the gateway city of Punjab. People are suffering due to them.”

Calling for the politics to be put aside, Municipal Commissioner Parminder Pal Singh said, “The residents, civic body officials, councillors and politicians need to unite to resolve the problem.”