Selfie points at stinking dumps in Jalandhar

Aparna Banerji

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Jalandhar, March 4

A bunch of professionals in Jalandhar are hunting for the worst, stinking dumps in Jalandhar and turning them into selfie points. The purpose is raising awareness about irresponsible garbage disposal and single-use plastics.

Fed up of all-pervading problem of garbage in Jalandhar city, a group of doctors, advocates, psychologists and other enlightened citizens have formed an NGO to address the issue. NGO Action Group against Plastic Pollution (AGAPP) was a brainchild of a Jalandhar doctor perturbed at the increasing waste disposal crisis.

A few days ago, NGO volunteer Ravneet Bhullar, a mother of two, chased a garbage truck with her two kids up to the Wariana dump just to see whether the truck was disposing garbage at the proper site and responsibly. On another day, her associates, held a “Chaah Da Langar” at Company Bagh Chowk just to tell citizens that the people at the MC office sitting behind them in the big building – were supposed to keep the city clean and to raise awareness on responsible waste disposal.

The NGO AGAPP, formed in the midst of the Covid pandemic in 2020, started with protests at dumping sites. This year, they have started holding selfie points at garbage dumps and ‘chaah da langars’ to involve more citizens and raise awareness about the irresponsible waste disposal.

US-based Dr Navneet Bhullar set up the NGO in 2020. Dr Bhullar already runs another NGO called APAAR (Altering Perception in Autism and Assisting in Rehabilitation). Since then, many more have joined the campaign.

Dr Ashma Shourie, a pathologist at PIMS, Jalandhar, and member of the AGAPP, said, “It is so depressing to see garbage dumps at every single point in the city. At Model Town, what must people feel when they come to lay their loved ones to rest. The garbage dump must depress their already sorrowful hearts more. At Shivratri, on one hand, people partook a langar and on the other, garbage lay strewn openly right in front of them. We are raising the issue that so much filth isn’t normal. It shouldn’t be the norm. People have become habitual of huge garbage dumps, which need to be changed. We deserve living in cleaner cities without pollution and loads of waste. And all dump needs to be disposed responsibly at the designated site.”

She added, “We are also advocating against single-use plastics which are a scourge on the planet. Their manufacture needs to stop. They are wreaking havoc on the environment and the ban on polythene and plastics also hasn’t been implemented despite the law.”

The campaign has also begun yielding results.

On February 22, when they finally reached the huge garbage dump behind the Model Town Cremation ground for their scheduled selfie point, pressure had been built to such an extent that four to five MC trolleys had reached the site and were picking up garbage. On the day of the Shivratri festival, they set up their selfie point near the Plaza Chowk (near Jyoti Chowk).

Plans are afoot to start signature campaigns and also to identify all biggest of garbage sites in the city to raise awareness and get them cleaned.