Waste mismanaged, Sirsa plant turns polluter

Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, April 14

The solid waste management plant at Bakrianwali village in Sirsa, built with the funding of the Union Government in 2006, has turned into a major source of pollution, causing distress to the local community.

The situation is such that the Haryana Pollution Control Board, Sirsa, has been imposing a fine of Rs 1 lakh per month on the contractor hired by the Municipal Council to run the plant. The total amount of penalty now stands at a whopping Rs 45 lakh.

The tardy process of recycling has led to the accumulation of towering heaps of garbage, including biomedical waste, over the years. Spread across 13 acres, the plant has garbage heaps piling up as high as 120 to 150 feet. This has sparked concerns about the spread of diseases like cancer in the local community. Medical camps conducted by the local health department around villages near the plant have unearthed many cases of cancer, skin issues and respiratory problems among residents.

Subhash Kumar Kadwasra, who resides near the plant’s boundary, recalls the initial greenery and other amenities surrounding the plant. However, as the city’’s waste piled up, all the trees got submerged amid the heaps of garbage, water sources dried up and the area surrounding the plant got engulfed by an overpowering stench.

Instead of recycling the waste, it is often allegedly burnt, leading to severe air pollution and severe health issues among village residents. Subhash alleges that since the plant’s establishment, 20 to 25 people had succumbed to cancer in the village and another 20 persons were living with the deadly disease. Additionally, more than 150 people suffer from skin diseases, while over 400 have respiratory issues. Despite reaching out to various authorities, including the Chief Minister’’s Window Complaint Cell, Agriculture Minister, Director of the Haryana Pollution Control Board and the local Deputy Commissioner, Subhash laments that the problem persists.

He said his 8-acre land was situated on the boundary of the plant and the nutrients in the soil were steadily depleting. “Soil tests confirm that nearly all essential nutrients have been depleted,” he said. Instead of proper disposal, the contractor often burns waste, resulting in over 30 fire incidents in recent years, alleged Subhash.

Vinod Balyan, Regional Officer, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Sirsa, reported several deficiencies during a recent inspection of the Bakrianwali plant. The neglect in the disposal of old waste has led to the monthly fines of Rs 1 lakh on the contractor.

Rs 45L fine in 45 months

The pollution control board has been levying a fine of Rs 1 lakh/month for the last 45 months on the MC contractor running the plant.

Dr Ruchi Urana, SDO, Pollution Circle, Sirsa, listed the findings of their recent inspection, including the accumulation of old waste alongside the new one. While there were two machines for waste recycling in the plant, only one was operational, leading to slow recycling. Orders have been issued to create cemented floors to prevent dirty water from mixing with the groundwater, she said.

Dr Ruchi said proper waste segregation in the city could alleviate problems, but currently, all waste was collected together and then separated, leading to considerable time wastage. “Another inspection will be done soon,” she added.

Attar Singh, Executive Officer of the Municipal Council, claimed there had been no halt or slowdown in the work being carried out at the plant.

All’s well, claims MC

The waste management operations are being conducted effectively and in accordance with established procedures. Some misinformation is being circulated among villagers. — Attar Singh, Executive Officer, MC, Sirsa

He said the waste management process was continuing at a regular pace, with close monitoring throughout. Singh explained that recycling biomedical waste required a specific timeline, as bio-hazardous materials are accumulated over a period of 15 days before being processed together. Other types of waste, however, are recycled on a daily basis or with a one-day interval.

He claimed some misinformation was being circulated among villagers. He claimed the waste management operations were being conducted effectively and in accordance with established procedures.

Deficiencies to fore during inspection by board

• Pollution control board officials reported several deficiencies during a recent inspection at the waste management plant
• These include the neglect in the disposal of the legacy waste
• Besides, there are two machines for recycling the garbage but only one is operational, leading to slow processing of waste.
• Orders have also been issued to the contractor to create cemented floors to prevent dirty water from mixing with the groundwater

Health problems galore

• Spread across 13 acres, the plant has garbage heaps piled up as high as 120 to 150 feet.
• Medical camps conducted by the Health Department around villages near the plant have unearthed many cases of cancer, skin issues and respiratory problems among residents.

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