Mohali seeks permanent solution to roadside dumps

With monsoon season round the corner, mounds of garbage in open spaces and trash littered alongside road has become a cause of serious concern for Mohali residents. With every passing day, the situation was going from bad to worse, they complained.

“Extreme insanitary conditions are prevailing in the entire city as there is no designated dumping ground for storing tonnes of garbage. Waste collectors from homes and shops are dumping their daily load of garbage on roadsides, particularly on the backside of single lane rows of houses on the inter-sector roads. Heaps of garbage are lying on the intercity entry points. There is an unbearable stink in the air. Residents’ complaints on the mSeva portal fall on deaf ears,” said Prof Kulwant Singh, a Mohali resident.

Sohana village residents and users of Airport Road complained that stench emanating from the RMC point opposite Homeland society had become unbearable. Pedestrians on the road and passengers waiting at the nearby bus stop had to keep a handkerchief on their face as it is difficult to stand here.

Sector 71 residents complained that garbage was not being lifted from collection points for two to three days. Nearby Mataur village, residents are fed up of mounds of cow dung lying in the open area.

“In rainy season, it is virtually a hell. Imagine the Municipal Corporation has no solution to remove cow dung in a residential area,” said Kamaljeet Singh, a local resident.

Phase-11 residents are concerned about garbage processing plant set up near the railway line in Jagatpura. The plant set up by the Municipal Corporation has now become a cause of major concern for local residents. With rising filth, swarms of flies, mosquitoes and growing health risks, the plant also poses a threat to aviation safety due to its proximity to the airport.

Phase-11 councillor Kulwant Singh Kaler said, “Residents have met Mayor and submitted a memorandum demanding immediate relocation of the garbage site.”

“The city residents are suffering due to garbage disposal issue, but neither the Municipal Corporation nor GMADS is ready to find a permanent solution to it,” he said.

Mohali Mayor Amarjit Singh said he had written to the Chief Administrator of GMADA, demanding immediate allotment of land outside the city limits for permanent garbage disposal.

“The Punjab Government is evading its responsibility on this critical issue. City’s previous dumping ground has already been shut down for over a year due to court orders, as it was also located near a residential area. Any new dumping ground within the Municipal Corporation limits will not be suitable for residents, since all areas under our jurisdiction are densely populated,” he explained.