Amid unbearable stench, life a living hell for Dadu Majra residents

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, June 13

Residents of Dadu Majra continue to face a harrowing time due to the rising mountain of garbage.

People complain of problems related to cough, breathing and irritation in the eyes. Many of them have been diagnosed with TB, asthma, cancer and heart problems due to inhaling of poisonous gases and constant foul smell.

“Besides diseases, many residents here are forced to wear spectacles due to eye-related problems. My father, wife, two kids and I wear glasses. The foul smell and insanitary conditions have made people, especially kids and old people, suffer with life-threatening diseases. Our colony earlier used to have one or two doctors’ clinics, there are seven or eight now. The number of labs has increased too,” said Harjinder Singh, chairman, Residents’ Welfare Association.

“At night, people have to sleep after spraying perfume or use dhoop/incense sticks in their rooms to get some relief from the constant smell emanating from the dump. Guests here do not like to sit for more than 10 minutes. Many educated and working young people, who have reached around 40 years of age, have not got married as people from other places avoid marrying their children here,” he lamented.

Concerned over the problem, local resident Dyal Krishna had to earlier form a specific association — the Dumping Ground Action Committee — to take up the residents’ cause. “Children here are mentally upset,” he rued.

Dyal said even micro dust coming from the processing plant was dangerous. “It sticks to our computers, almirahs or TVs. It causes sore throat and itching in the eyes. We are living in hell-like conditions. The authorities must think about us,” he lamented.

Some Dadu Majra Colony residents said they had settled in the colony around 1979 and for 10 years there was no issue. Initially, the waste used to stay inside the processing plant. Later, a landfill was made where the waste was thrown. It gradually became a mountain of garbage due to non-processing of city garbage.

Residents of parts of Dhanas, Sector 38 (West), 37, 25 and other areas are also daily affected by the problem. Sometimes, foul smell covers half of Chandigarh, depending upon the flow of air. Even at the time of a fire at the dumping ground, many sectors remain affected for three to four days. “Sometimes, we cannot bear with the smell as it feels like some sewer is overflowing,” said Pankaj Gupta, president, Sector 38 (West), RWA.

Threat of diseases looms large

The foul smell and insanitary conditions have made people, especially kids and old people, suffer with life-threatening diseases. — Harjinder Singh, chairman, RWA