Residents, market assn members protest relocation of waste dump
Jalandhar, October 10
A protest was held today at the Jyoti Nagar dump by members of the market association and residents of Urban Estate Phase 1 & 2. The demonstration was organised against the Municipal Corporation over their decision to relocate the bus stand market waste dump to the Jyoti Nagar dump.
Members of the market association said the bus stand dump, which was situated near BMC Chowk, has been abruptly closed by the Municipal Corporation for reasons best known to its officials. “Here at Jyoti Nagar dump, only the waste from Urban Estate Phase 1 & 2 is brought, and if the MC now brings waste from other parts of the city here, the dump would be overcrowded and will create problems for the business establishments nearby,” they added.
Kanwar Sartaj Singh, one of the protesters, highlighted the growing number of ragpickers converging on the dump adjacent to their market. He lamented that the foul odour emanating from the dump was affecting the entire neighborhood, which boasts of numerous clinics, restaurants and a petrol pump. Singh emphasised that a dump inevitably impedes the growth and development of a market.
He said that they had previously lobbied for the relocation of the Jyoti Nagar dump to a more suitable location to safeguard their livelihoods. Therefore, they questioned the logic of allowing waste from other parts of the city to be disposed of here, further attracting ragpickers and animals in search of food. “This influx of waste and scavengers only compounds the challenges we face,” he added.
Karan Lally, another protester, drew attention to the perils posed by the railway line adjacent to the dump, especially when stray animals are attracted to the garbage. The protesters announced that they would organise a dharna against the decision if the MC continues to bring waste from other areas here.
They asserted that the Jyoti Nagar dump should only receive waste from nearby localities and not be burdened with waste from the entire city.
