Jalandhar: Model Town residents threaten protest over garbage dump

Frustrated by years of inaction, residents of Model Town here have announced an indefinite protest at the Shivpuri garbage dump site starting December 1.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC), representing the residents, has asked the Municipal Corporation (MC) to deliver on its long-standing promise to permanently shut the dump, which has caused immense suffering to those living nearby and having their businesses and offices in the vicinity.

The Shivpuri dump, which receives waste from about 15 wards, has turned into a massive public health hazard. Residents complain of foul smell, increased traffic disruptions, stray cattle and the daily influx of rag-pickers and MC vehicles unloading garbage. Adding to their anguish is the fact that the dump is located right next to a cremation ground, where people attending funeral rites often face unbearable conditions due to the stench.

In a letter to Municipal Commissioner Gautam Jain, the JAC has demanded the site to be closed by November 30. They warned that the failure to act would leave them with no choice but to begin an indefinite protest at the dump from December 1.

Speaking to Jalandhar Tribune, Jaswinder Singh Sahni, a JAC member, said: “Jalandhar may be branded as a smart city, but the ground reality is different. The MC has no concrete waste management plan. Illegal garbage dumps have mushroomed all over the city, including public roads, which violates National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines.”

He said the dump, stretching over 300-400 metres, is a major source of pollution. “Residents of the nearby colonies such as Kewal Vihar are forced to live in unbearable conditions. We have retired Army officers living next to this dump, enduring this stench every day. The proximity of the dump to the cremation ground only adds salt to injury,” said Sahni.

JAC members pointed out that Jain had repeatedly promised that the dump would only operate temporarily and that waste would be cleared daily by 11 am. However, they claimed that these assurances had gone unfulfilled. “Half of the city’s garbage is dumped here day and night. The Commissioner’s words have become meaningless,” said Varinder Malik, another JAC member.

At a recent meeting, JAC leaders, including Jathedar Jagjit Singh Gaba, Varinder Malik, Jaswinder Sahni, Manmeet Singh Sodhi and others resolved to hold both MC and the government accountable if the dump was not closed by November 30. “This dump is not just our problem — it is a citywide embarrassment. If the MC fails to act, the responsibility for the protest and its consequences will lie solely with them,” the JAC members said.