Villagers refuse to allow garbage plant reopening

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, March 18

The dumping of municipal waste in Palampur has become a major problem in the absence of any treatment plant for the scientific handling of garbage. At present local MC has no place to dump the garbage.

The garbage treatment plant of the Municipal Council, Palampur, situated in panchayat areas which was locked by the residents of Lohana and Bundla villages two years ago being a “health hazard”, is yet to be reopened resulting in a lot of inconvenience to residents of Palampur.

All efforts made by the local administration and municipal authorities have yielded no results in the past two years as residents of Lohana have demanded that unless a new treatment plant with the latest technology is not installed for the scientific handling of garbage they will not allow the dumping of garbage in their villages.

They allege that the garbage dumping has resulted in various diseases.

Former panchayat president of Lohana Sanjeev Soni says that he has transferred the land to MC for installation of treatment plant and not for dumping of garbage. He says MC violated the terms and conditions of MOU signed with panchayat in this regard and misused the land as a garbage dump which is not acceptable to villagers.

The MC had in 2014 set up a pit-based garbage plant near Lohana village by spending Rs 1.5 crore for treatment of garbage of MC limits and the adjoining panchayats. This was now an outdated plant based on old technology with multiple pits. The garbage was being treated after dumping of waste in pits and then by applying harmful chemicals which were resulting in large scale pollution. This was resulting in contamination of open and underground water in the area, adversely affecting human health.

SDM, Palampur, Pankaj Sharma, while talking to The Tribune, said that he was well versed with the situation and making all out efforts to reopen the plant. He said he would convene a meeting of panchayat paradhans of Lohana, Bundla and Executive Officer of Palampur MC soon to sort out the issue. He admitted that the MC had no land left with it for installation of a treatment plant and was dependant on the adjoining panchayats which were not ready to give land unless or until MC limits were extended. He termed it a complex issue and needed support for all section of society.

Lalit Kumar EO MC Palampur stated that if panchyats permitted the MC was ready to install latest pollution-free garbage treatment plant. The MC has sufficient funds to set up the plant. He admitted that MC was facing great inconvenience as it had not place either to dump the garbage or treat it scientifically. He needed support from government so that new plant was established.

Meeting soon

• SDM, Palampur, Pankaj Sharma, said he would convene a meeting of panchayat pradhans of Lohana, Bundla and Executive Officer of yjr Palampur MC soon to sort out the issue. 
• The MC had no land left with it for installation of a treatment plant and was dependent on the adjoining panchayats which were not ready to give land unless or until MC limits were extended
• He termed it a complex issue and needed support for all section of society.