Residents furious as MC ignores heaps of garbage in key areas, seek NGT intervention

Heaps of garbage have left unattended in some of Phagwara’s most frequented areas are causing frustration among residents. Key locations, such as the front of the shopping complex on GT Road and near the defunct sewage treatment plant (STP) in Urban Estate, have become dumping grounds for waste.

Residents say though these prominent spots witness heavy flow of traffic every day, the municipal corporation (MC) authorities have taken no action to address the growing health and environmental risks posed by garbage piled up here. They said the Urban Estate Residents Welfare Association had made numerous complaints to the Phagwara Municipal Corporation (MC), but their pleas had been ignored. The association, after exhausting all local options, has now appealed to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), and sought its intervention to compel the MC authorities to remove garbage dumped at key locations.

They also submitted complaints on the Chief Minister’s grievance portal and other platforms, but the problem still remained unsolved.

“The situation has become unbearable,” said Pankaj Gautam, a member of the welfare association.

He said, “We’ve visited the MC office a number of times and demanded that the garbage be removed, but nothing has been done. The land where the garbage is piling up belongs to the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA). Though the Jalandhar Development Authority has sent letters to the Phagwara MC asking its officials to remove garbage, no action has been taken.”

He said neglected garbage had become a serious health hazard with pests, vermin and stray animals frequently seen at the sites. “We fear that the piled up waste could spread diseases and raise health concerns among residents. Besides posing a direct threat to health, garbage also has a detrimental effect on the environment as it damages the local ecosystem,” he added.

Residents said garbage tarnished image of the city, especially of Urban Estate. “These areas are gateway to posh localities. One can imagine what would be visitors’ first impression on seeing piles of garbage. It’s an eyesore and a serious reflection of the municipal authorities’ neglect,” they said.

In their letter to the NGT, residents requested immediate action to address the issue. They asked the tribunal to direct local authorities to clear garbage and conduct an inspection of the key areas to ensure that there was no negligence on their part in lifting waste regularly. Besides, a permanent solution to the city’s growing waste management crisis should be chalked out, they said.

When contacted, Phagwara MC Commissioner Anupam Kaler said they had plans to develop material recovery facility (MRF) plants at the key spots. However, due to residents’ protest these plants couldn’t be established, she said. “In a recent meeting, we decided to lift garbage from the key spots within a week or two and convert the sites into green belts,” she said.