Despite crores spent, Ludhiana’s garbage still unsegregated, dumped illegally, alleges PAC

Every year, World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 and various programmes are launched by different departments, but in reality, these initiatives fail to bring any tangible change.

Despite spending hundreds of crores of public money, the condition has worsened over time and the public feels cheated, as the Municipal Corporation (MC), Ludhiana, is still using the informal sector for door-to-door garbage collection.

Today, the Public Action Committee (PAC) served a demand notice on the Member Secretary of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), urging the imposition of an Environment Compensation Penalty on Ludhiana MC and the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) for failing to implement the provisions of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016 in private colonies and markets operated and maintained by Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs).

PAC members stated that keeping in view the SWM Rules 2016 and environmental laws, they have served notice to PPCB with a demand to impose environmental compensation on GLADA, MCL and all such private colonies. In case no appropriate action is taken by PPCB within the next month and the SWM Rules are not implemented within two months thereafter, PAC and its members will approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for redressal of their legitimate grievance.

Kuldeep Singh Khaira and Er Jaskirat Singh said, “Solid Waste Management Rules were notified in April 2016 by the Union Environment Ministry, and as per one of its clauses, it is mandatory for all RWAs/market associations to segregate the bio-degradable waste and process the same within the premises. Further, the non-biodegradable waste must be handed over to a waste collector or waste recycler authorised by the local body.”

“However, these private colonies and market associations have never followed the rule of law and are dumping the garbage at Tajpur Primary Dump or in open plots and roadsides, endangering public health. We have provided a list of more than 40 colonies in our complaint,” they added.

Er Kapil Arora and Dr Amandeep Singh Bains further stated that RWAs and developers are collecting maintenance charges from every dwelling unit of such colonies/markets and sending the waste without segregation, resulting in an increase in legacy waste at the primary dump.

It is pertinent to mention that during a visit by Local Commissioner Bhawan Pal Jadon, appointed by the NGT, GLADA failed to provide information regarding provisions for solid waste handling by private colonies approved by it.

The private colonies under GLADA are illegally dumping garbage at Tajpur Primary Dump, while the responsibility for processing the garbage lies with the MC. This processing is funded through the collection of taxes, thus increasing the burden on residents living within Ludhiana MC limits.

Gurpreet Singh and Preet Dhanoa said, “Ludhiana has been declared one of the critically polluted cities for more than a decade, but instead of strictly implementing the laws on residents and developers, the development authorities themselves are indulging in violating them.”