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Plant to dispose of construction waste to be set up with changed design in Ludhiana
The proposed cost for the construction of the C and D waste management plant was ₹4.40 crore, the officials said, adding that with the change in design, the estimated cost will go above ₹5 crore
: The project to establish a plant to dispose of city’s construction and demolition waste at Dhandari Kalan, which had hit a roadblock after garbage was found dumped on the site, will now begin after it got a nod from a state panel with a change in design.
The changes in the design have been approved by the state expert panel and the civil work for the project to set up construction and demolitions waste management plant, being taken up under the Swachh Bharat Mission, will start within a few days, MC officials confirmed.
The proposed site which was earlier being used as a garbage dump will be dug up to nine meters and a different design will be used to strengthen the base, said Sanjay Kanwar, superintending engineer, municipal corporation.
The proposed cost for the construction of the C and D waste management plant was ₹4.40 crore, the officials said, adding that with the change in design, the estimated cost will go above ₹5 crore.
Under the project, the construction and demolition waste would be transported to the plant where it will be turned into sand and gravel. The MC has also faced criticism from residents and the National Green Tribunal for failing to start the project.
Green zones remain marred by dumped debris
Without the plant, the construction and demolition waste remains a major problem in the city, especially in inner localities, including the cremation ground road in Model Town Extension, Dugri, Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar, Focal Point, Haibowal, Jalandhar Byepass, and others.
Yashpal Singh, a resident of Dugri said, “Several areas in the city have been encroached upon as the construction material has been dumped there. It causes dust pollution, thus posing risk to commuters, especially two-wheelers riders.”
He said that the MC should take legal action against those dumping the waste at undesignated sites.
Another resident, Kirpal Singh, said that while crores are being spent on the beautification of the city, the debris puts an ugly face on the city.
He said that it is a matter of embarrassment for the authorities who have lagged behind in starting the plant.
No end to deadlines
The project which was proposed in the year 2017 has missed several deadlines. In the absence of a dedicated plant, tons of construction waste lays dumped in various parts of the city, including green belts.
While the initial deadline to install the machinery at the site was set in December 2021, it was extended till March 2023. With the project still lying pending, it is expected to take months to start.
Notably, the failure to get the plant started was among the reason for the city seeing a fall in its ranking in the Swacch Sarvekshan. A senior MC official said that the project would be started on priority to improve the city’s rank.
