Ambala Mayor questions functioning of waste management plant, waste collection

Nearly a month after the Haryana State Pollution Control Board imposed an environmental compensation on the Municipal Corporation Ambala for irregularities found at the solid waste management plant in Patvi village, the BJP MC Mayor has also raised questions over the functioning of the plant, and sanitation conditions of Ambala City.

The Mayor has called a meeting of the sanitation branch of the Municipal Corporation on Wednesday and discuss the related issues.

Expressing disappointment, Mayor Shailja Sachdeva said: “Various irregularities were observed during the recent visit to Patvi plant. The records at Patvi plant shows that around 220 tonnes garbage is being dumped at the plant, but still heaps of garbage can be observed in the city. Documents have been obtained from the plant and we will inquire the matter. A complete audit will be done and the further action will be recommended accordingly. A meeting has been called to discuss the issues.”

The non-segregation of dry and wet waste, collected through the door-to-door garbage collection, is also a major reason behind the mismanagement at the Patvi plant, she added.

The HSPCB had imposed an Environmental Compensation of Rs 62 lakh on the Municipal Corporation Ambala for non-compliance of the municipal solid waste rules. The facility was found operational in unscientific or unauthorised manner without adopting the due measures laid down under the rules.

The board had also asked the corporation to deposit the compensation within 15 days, however, sources in the pollution control board said the compensation was yet to be deposited and the board officials had decided to escalate the matter with higher authorities.

Nominated member of the Ambala Municipal Corporation Sandeep Sachdeva said “In the recently announced Swacchh Survekshan ranking, Ambala fared poorly with 212th rank. "It is a matter of investigation that how a huge quantity of garbage remains along the roads in City, if over 220 tonnes of garbage is being dumped at the solid waste management plant. We aim to improve ranking of Ambala in the swacchh survekshan. In the meeting, we will also inquire about the compensation of Rs 62 lakh imposed by the pollution control board,” he said.