Phagwara MC urged to shift dump yard

The Shaheed Bhagat Singh Welfare Society today urged the Phagwara Municipal Corporation to shift dump yard located outside Varindra Park near Mehli Gate.

Members of the society said the dump yard had become a major nuisance for residents.

Rajiv Chahal Raju, chairman, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Welfare Society, said, the dump yard had been causing distress to residents of nearby areas, including Varindra Nagar, Guru Harkrishan Nagar, and Professor Colony. The dump had been located adjacent to Varindra Park and in close proximity of a temple and a gurdwara.

Criticising newly elected councillors, Raju said they had been regularly appealing to the citizens to contribute to the city’s cleanliness, but presence of dump yards in residential areas suggests that civic body has failed to maintain hygiene. “If the MC is incapable of managing cleanliness, how can it expect cooperation from the general public?” he asked.

Notably, the issue of this garbage dump is already under consideration in the district court. The court had directed the MC to clear garbage and submit a report, but the situation has hardly improved.

Mayor Rampal Uppal said there’s no designated site available to accommodate large volume of waste generated by the city.

However, experts believe that the Phagwara MC, which operates with a substantial budget, can seek additional grants from the Punjab Government and funds from the Centre under cleanliness initiatives. They assert that the MC must take responsibility for setting up a large-scale waste collection site and a recycling plant to address the problem effectively.