Garbage set ablaze after cleanup in CM Mann's home dist

Sangrur, the home district of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, continues to struggle with serious sanitation issues despite repeated complaints and official interventions.

After The Tribune highlighted the garbage menace in its web coverage on Tuesday, the authorities swung into action and removed heaps of waste from several streets.

However, to the utter dismay of civil society groups, the collected garbage was later set on fire, aggravating pollution concerns.

Social activists Jasinder Kaur and Roshan Garg raised the issue, prompting Municipal Council executive officer Ashish Kumar to deploy firefighters to douse the flames.

Earlier, activists Jasinder Kaur and Harbinder Singh Sekhon (93) had criticised the administration for its apathy and urged the state government to declare a health emergency in the city.

Even near key landmarks such as Ranbir College, where the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur was being observed, streets remain littered with garbage, while stray cattle rummaged through waste. The site was cleared barely a few minutes before the start of the programme.

Despite the Punjab State Human Rights Commission taking suo motu cognisance of The Tribune’s November 2 report on civic neglect, conditions in several areas, including Ramnagar, remain deplorable, with stagnant sewage water.

Activists acknowledged the EO’s prompt response, but alleged that some municipal employees were deliberately exacerbating the garbage problem. Roshan Garg warned that persistent unhygienic conditions and waterlogging were triggering health issues among residents.