Residents irked over new garbage dumps in city

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, July 13

As there are no garbage lifting trucks and compactors, the solid waste management firm has set up several small dumping sites in different parts of the city. These heaps of waste dumped in several areas of the city irk residents. Residents have held demonstrations against the municipal corporation over dumping of waste, but its officials seem helpless in front of the solid waste management company.

A major dump site has come up along the Chabal road. Ironically, the dump site is located near an educational institute and hundreds of students are suffering due to it. Moreover, thousands of devotees from the city visit Gurdwara Bir Baba Budha Sahib, Chabal, to pay obeisance every day. Similarly, a garbage dump has come up on the 88-feet-road near Bhapa High School. The solid waste management company collects garbage from nearby areas and dumps it along the 88-feet-road. Residents around the dumping site are at the receiving end.

The municipal corporation has failed to address problems at the Bhagtanwala dump. Now, the civic body is dumping waste in every locality of the city. New dump sites have come up in various areas of the city. The MC is forcing the public to breathe toxic air and polluting our environment. —Pawan Sharma, Social Activist

Another dump site has come up outside Verka Milk Plant. Ironically, instead of shifting garbage to the Bhagtanwala dumping ground, the waste is burnt here.

The MC has spent huge funds to improve the façade of the main road outside Durgiana Temple. More than two acres of the Army property is behind Durgiana Temple, which is used by the MC as dumping ground. Stray animals graze on garbage here.

Laxmi Kanta Chawla, president, Durgiana Temple Committee, said, “All this mess has been shown to a minister, the Municipal Corporation Commissioner and Army officers, but they have failed to come up with any solution to shift the dump. Devotees at the temple park their vehicles on some portion of the ground here and walk through stinking garbage before reaching the temple.”

Chawla said, “The land belongs to the Army. The garbage dumped here by the municipal corporation should be removed.”

Pawan Sharma, a social activist said, “The MC has failed to address problems at the Bhagtanwala dump. Now, the civic body is dumping waste in every locality. New dump sites have come up in the city. The MC is forcing the public to breathe toxic air and polluting our environment.”