Punjab pollution control panel's report contradicts Sangrur MC claims on waste management

A report by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), has contradicted claims made by the Sangrur Municipal Council (MC) on solid waste management.

The report was filed ahead of the February 26 hearing. It points to severe breach of the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules and exposes lapses in the council’s functioning.

In December, a three-member Bench of the NGT had directed the PPCB to inspect all dumps in Sangrur, verify ground condition and submit an action-taken report. The direction came after the tribunal took note of poor waste management and open burning of garbage.

The case stems from an application filed in December by Advocate Kamal Anand and other petitioners, alleging systemic failures in waste management.

In an affidavit, the Sangrur Executive Officer claimed that dumping sites had been cleared and operations were largely functional. However, a February 9 inspection by a PPCB environmental engineer found otherwise.

The main dump site had 20-foot-high heaps of unsegregated waste. There was no entry gate, CCTV surveillance or weighing scale to verify the estimated 11,000 metric tonne waste. Stagnant leachate was found with no collection system, and stray dogs were roaming there.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Ankur Mahindru said the EO’s report was submitted after inspection of sites that were cleared later.