NGT, pollution control board teams visit Wariana dump site

Jalandhar, October 5

Teams of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) visited the Wariana dump site today and expressed dissatisfaction over waste management.

The teams also questioned the Municipal Corporation for not being able to manage the waste. The team members were shocked after they visited the site. They pointed out various issues such as no boundary wall at the site.

The members said it was wrong that tippers transporting garbage collected from the city to the Wariana dump site are left uncovered, causing trouble to commuters.

According to information, delay in starting the bio-mining project to manage the garbage is another issue, which was pointed out by the team members.

Notably in 2017, a bio-mining project was planned to manage and process the waste at Wariana dump. A detailed report of its importance was prepared too. The much-talked about project is yet to take off and the garbage mound at the dump has only grown bigger all this while. The team has asked to file the report in this regard.

At present, there is 8 lakh cubic metric waste at the site and a hill-like structure of garbage oversees the city. The overflowing waste is spewing toxins into the air. People living nearby areas at the Wariana dump site are surviving amidst pollution and diseases.

The city generates above 450 tonnes of garbage every day. Now, even other small dump sites are filled and the lifting of the garbage is not being done properly. To tackle these problems, a bio-mining project was to be implemented under the Smart City project, but, apart from floating some tenders, nothing concrete was done.

The team also visited Chuggiti dump today. It was informed that on August 16, the team had paid a visit here and had asked the MC team to ensure that the waste is lifted from the site in 10 days. “Though the waste was not lifted entirely, the team expressed a little hope,” an official said.