Some relief, but life still a mess for Dadu Majra residents

Dhruv Noatay

Chandigarh, June 19

The Dadu Majra landfill site is a major trouble for people living in its vicinity and commuters passing by it alike. For years, people have struggled and dealt with a variety of challenges, including clogged drains, garbage-ridden roads and leachate flowing out of the dump during monsoon.

Shopkeepers as well as vendors selling fruits and vegetables find themselves at a loss as potential customers don’t stop for long due to the continuous stench emanating from the dump.

Sharing his plight, Shehzad, a litchi seller, said, “I live in the area and have adapted to this foul smell. Since everyone hasn’t, I have to sometimes accept the price customers agree to pay for my products as I fear that they’ll not stay that long.”

Bioremediation of the waste at the dumping ground to provide full-scale relief from the foul smell is yet to be completed.

Ram Singh, a shopkeeper and a resident of the area for over 15 years, stated that he and his family had accepted the reality and somehow adjusted to the environment despite the smell and diseases that plague the area.

Over the past few years, the authorities have tried to improve the lives of those residing around the dump yard. Tilak Ram, a Dadu Majra resident for over 20 years, said, “They’ve doubled the height of the boundary walls of the site and divided the yard into sections which helps manage the accumulation of waste in any one area.”

Now, a dedicated drain for leachate disposal has been announced. It was inaugurated by Mayor Kuldeep Kumar two days ago and the Rs 3 crore project is expected to complete in six months. In light of this development, Harjinder Singh, chairperson of the area RWA, said, “For any effort to be fruitful it has to be followed through; just inaugurating something doesn’t mean that the job is done.”

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