Open House: What steps should Chandigarh MC take to stop piling up of garbage at Dadu Majra dump?
A large quantum of waste generated in the city ends up at the Dadu Majra dumping ground. The administration should take necessary steps to convert this waste into compost. The compost can be further put to several other uses. The administration can get loads of useful compost with very less expenditure.
NPS Sohal, Chandigarh
Residents should sort waste at source
Dadu Majra dumping ground is an eyesore. It is high time people started segregating waste at source to help the UT authorities get rid of this big mountain of garbage. All dry waste like paper, polythene waste, bags, clothes, etc, should be recycled. All biogradable waste should be used to make organic manure. Lastly, people should follow the 3R principle of reduce, reuse and recycle.
Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali
Install processing plant at earliest
Piling up of waste hardly affects the top brass of the City Beautiful as they all stay in posh localities. It affects the residents staying around the dumping ground. The foul smell and smoke from these dumps make their lives miserable. The waste processing plant must be installed in a time-bound manner. The heaps of waste must be covered with soil till processing starts to save the people living in the vicinity as well as the environment.
Wg Cdr (DR) JS Minhas (retd), Mohali
Engage more contractors
It is necessary to involve at least five contractors for the work of processing of waste. Non-performing contractor should be shown the door and his work given to other contractors. There is an urgent need to get rid of the smelly mountain of garbage and waste management in the city should be made very efficient for the sake of health of the citizens.
Ashok Kumar Goel, Panchkula
Residents can reduce generation of waste
Residents can contribute their bit in managing waste by minimising its generation and by reusing and recycling products. Simultaneously, the authorities must educate people about waste segregation at the source to facilitate the process. Segregation will enable the waste processing plant to function more effectively.
Chetan Verma, Mohali
Get professionals on board to clear dump
The Dadu Majra dump is a long-pending issue. During rains, people living in its vicinity go through hell-like conditions. The polluted air is very dangerous for senior citizens, kids and patients. The MC should immediately invite bids and allot the waste processing work to highly professional company so that maximum waste could be processed before rains.
MR Bhateja, Nayagaon
Official supervision of processing needed
A professional and technology-driven waste management agency of repute should be selected and a new waste management plant commissioned immediately. This agency must work under the direct and close supervision of a dedicated team of senior officials of the UT Administration and the municipal corporation to ensure time-bound, positive results.
Vijay Shukla, Chandigarh
Recycle refuse, raise revenue
The MC needs to take more stringent steps towards garbage segregation at source. Wet waste should be composted at home, restaurants and hotels. The MC should distribute compost buckets and educate citizens. Further, it should hire an agency for buying this compost and turn it into a revenue model. The plastic waste can be used in road construction work. An e-waste collection and recycling contract can be given to a private agency, which will further generate revenue.
Sunny Dhaliwal, Chandigarh
People should adopt 3R principle
Even three years after taking over the waste processing plant from Jaypee Group, the MC has failed to set up a new plant to process the entire garbage generated in the city. The new plant should be commissioned as soon as possible. People should use eco-friendly, biodegradable bags made of jute, bamboo etc. Everyone should follow the 3R principle of reduce, reuse and recycle. Compositing technique should be followed too.
Adish Sood
UT Administrator must pull up civic body
The MC has taken a lot more than enough time to install a new plant. It seems as if the authorities are not interested in getting a new one. The UT Administrator should pull up the civic body and ensure a waste processing facility comes up in a time-bound manner. Further, some other site should be identified where fresh garbage could be dumped.
Sukhwant Bhullar, Chandigarh
Incentivise setting up of bio-compost plants
The MC must initiate a scheme for incentivising residents and institutions installing bio-compost plants on their premises. Bio-compost is suitable for making land fertile and for growing vegetables and other crops. The government should fund installation of bio-compost plants. It should also purchase compost from the plant owners at market price and sell it in the market so that residents know their efforts will not go waste. A lot of compost so made can be used by the MC horticulture wing itself for maintaining green belts, parks, lawns, etc. People must contribute towards achieving target of 100% waste disposal to ensure spaces and parks remain clean in the City Beautiful.
Sanjay Chopra, Mohali
Sort for efficient waste management
Sorting of waste into categories such as recyclables, organic waste and non-recyclable can make the waste management process more efficient and stop further piling up of garbage on the dumping ground.
Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar
Make temporary pits in each sector
It is surprising that even three years after taking over the waste processing work from Jaypee Group, the MC has failed to set up a new waste processing plant. While it should expedite the project, the MC can, in the meantime, dig temporary pits in each sector and fill these with wet waste generated in the sector. RWAs and NGOs can be roped in to ensure proper segregation of garbage and residents should be encouraged to reduce waste as much as they can.
Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula
Residents can play big role in reducing waste
Most of the garbage generated in the city comes from residential areas. Considering this, the MC should focus on residents and make them adopt three ‘Rs’ – reduce, reuse and recycle home waste. People should stop making use of single-use plastic items. Polybags should be replaced with eco-friendly reusable cloth bags.
Savita Kuthiala
MC plant plan seemingly faulty
The city is generating 500 MT of waste daily and the MC is planning to have a plant of 500 MT only. What will happen if the waste increases before the installation and commissioning of the plant? The MC must get a waste processing plant with higher capacity, otherwise Dadu Majra residents will continue to suffer for years to come.
Bharat Bhushan Sharma
MC must act fast on installing new plant
The MC must quickly find a solution to the mountainous problem of proper disposal of waste generated in the city. The UT Administration should find means to educate people by using audio-visual aids about proper disposal of garbage. An effective waste management is the need of the hour. The population of the city has been increasing rapidly, making it all the more urgent to have a waste processing plant.
Charu Malhotra, Mohali
Find solution fast, save people
The Dadu Majra dumping site on the city’s border needs an immediate attention of the Municipal Corporation and the UT Administration alike. Even three years after taking over the waste processing plant from Jaypee Group, the MC has failed to set up one with modern technology. The dumping site poses a serious health hazard to those living in its vicinity. The site has seen several fire incidents in the past and smoke emanating from the place is toxic. It can cause damage to skin, eyes and lungs of residents of Dadu Majra and its adjoining areas. Most vulnerable sections are children, sick and the elderly. The MC has failed in clearing the mountain of garbage despite setting several deadlines. Either the dumping site should immediately be shifted out of Chandigarh or a state-of-the art solid waste management plant should be set up. Social activists should approach judiciary to remove the health hazard.
Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh
Double garbage processing capacity
One plant will surely be not enough to deal with the quantum of garbage generated in the city daily. With the increased use of plastic and packaged products, the waste in the city has increased manifold. The MC should keep the existing plant in running condition and simultaneously get another unit installed at the earliest.
Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh
Cut down on waste generation
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, an eminent mission commenced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was a way to generate awareness among the common man to keep one’s surroundings clean. However, city residents have not apparently understood the message. Heaps of garbage are seen throughout the city. Dustbins overflow with waste. Till the MC comes up with new waste processing plant, residents can at least reduce generation of waste. Secondly, they should segregate dry and wet waste to reduce dependency on garbage collectors. Those found littering should face punitive action.
Vivaan Gupta, Panchkula
Tricity civic bodies must upgrade plants
The entire tricity has become a hotspot for garbage dumps and landfills. The only solution to the problem is processing waste. The civic bodies should upgrade their waste processing plants. Additionally, composting of wet waste should be started. No wet waste should reach the dumping sites. Segregation of waste at source should be started in Mohali, Panchkula and Kalka as well. Steps should also be taken to reduce generation of waste.
Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh
Invite global bids for waste plant
MC should go for global tendering for setting up a standard waste management plant to deal with the problem of garbage on day-to-day basis without further delay. In the meantime, dry leaves and horticulture waste may be collected at one point and compressed into solid blocks and used as fuel. Kitchen and hotel waste should be converted into compost and supplied to gardens and green belts. At the same time, the process of installing a new waste management plant at Dadu Majra should be hastened.
Sqn Ldr Manjit Singh Johar (retd), Chandigarh
QUESTION
Despite the installation of smart cameras to monitor speeding and issue traffic challans, the city continues to witness loss of innocent lives in mishaps involving cars being driven at a high speed. What additional measures need to be taken to effectively curb reckless driving and ensure road safety for all?
Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com
