Litter dots Chandigarh amid higher waste generation during festive season

While the Municipal Corporation prides itself with the second rank in Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 for cities with a population of 3–10 lakh, there’s still a lot of work needed to clinch the top position.

One can see heaps of garbage and litter across the city after the Diwali celebrations, during which the Municipal Corporation received 20-25 per cent higher amount of garbage. The residents are not happy with the present state of roads and parks, while traders say that the sanitation is just as pitiable in markets.

The recent affidavit submitted by the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee before the NGT regarding the dumping area also paints a bleak picture. The affidavits mentioned that leachate, filth and unprocessed waste are the major problems. The third dump of the garbage is still to be removed from the dumping ground.

Markets, parks littered with garbage

Charanjiv Singh, chairperson of Chandigarh Beopar Mandal said garbage and trash is lying at many markets including in Sector 17 and 22, adding, “To improve the sanitation, the market welfare associations should be involved in the drive.”

Amarjit Singh, a trader Sector 22, said there was no cleanliness in the market. “The parking area remains fully occupied by vendors throughout the day. They contribute heavily to littering,” he added.

Different parks in Sector 20, 23, 24 and Leisure Valley in Sector 10 are also affected. A resident of Sector 10 said he had written many letters to the civic body over the sanitation condition of Leisure Valley, but nothing has improved so far.

Baljinder Singh Bittu, chairperson of Chandigarh Federation of Sectors Welfare Association Chandigarh (FOSWAC), added that that the monthly payment of maintenance of neighbourhood parks has not been released to the resident welfare associations (RWA) regularly for the last two years, which has made it difficult to maintain the parks.

Receiving no funds for months, many RWAs have also surrendered the parks. Major RS Gujral, president of Chandigarh Defence Colony Welfare Association Sector 35, which was maintaining 44 neighbourhood parks and green belts of the sector, said the condition of the parks has deteriorated even further.

RK Garg, president of Second Innings Association, said the condition of public toilets are also poor at many parks. Besides, Rohit, a resident of Sector 37, noted how the city scored only 14 per cent in the category of waste segregation at source.

The situation is no different in the villages and colonies as one can see heaps of the garbage lying on both sides of the main road leading to the Maulijagran from Panchkula.

Vijay Pal Singh, president of Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) local unit, said the civic body failed to provide better sanitation to residents.

Addressing the issue, Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla said, “The pending payment to the RWAs has been released. Sanitation is the first priority of the civic body. I have instructed all the officers to ensure that the city remains clean.”

MC imposes Rs 25-lakh penalty on firm

Medical Officer Health Department officials said the MC has imposed a penalty of over Rs 25 lakh on the company providing sanitation services in Sectors 31 to 50, 61 and 63 . They said the tender for the new contract has already been floated for sanitation of the sectors.

The officials added that the city witnessed a 20 to 25 per cent rise in the collection of garbage from all over the city during the Diwali season. The Department worked on war footing to lift the garbage and cleared it within three days. Officials said over 9,006 challans were issued to the violators of the solid waste management rules. The violators include banks, commercial shops and residents.