Over the past year, an empty patch of land along the road dividing Sectors 42 and 43 (on Sector 43-A side) has turned into a dumping ground with foul smell emanating from the site.
Irked over the improper disposal of garbage close to their houses, residents have called for swift action against the culprits.
The site in question is not far from where Apni Mandi is organised in the sector every Saturday. While the land belongs to the Chandigarh administration, its maintenance is the responsibility of the municipal corporation (MC), according to officials.
Jaswant Singh, a resident, said, “We have been living here for the past 30 years and this patch of land has never been this dirty. This started around the start of the Covid pandemic and now the whole area stinks due to the garbage being dumped and burnt here.”
Another resident, JL Sethi, added, “Many garbage collectors frequently burn the garbage at the plot. It leads to a lot of smoke and foul smell in the area.”
Chandigarh Residents Association Welfare Federation (CRAWFED) chairman Hitesh Puri, who also lives in Sector 43, confirmed said residents have only recently started complaining about the dumping of garbage here. “Debris and garbage are being increasingly disposed of here. The authorities must act swiftly and take action against anyone found dumping waste here.”
{{/usCountry}}Chandigarh Residents Association Welfare Federation (CRAWFED) chairman Hitesh Puri, who also lives in Sector 43, confirmed said residents have only recently started complaining about the dumping of garbage here. “Debris and garbage are being increasingly disposed of here. The authorities must act swiftly and take action against anyone found dumping waste here.”
{{/usCountry}}Social activist LR Budaniya has also submitted a complaint regarding this to the MC commissioner with over a 100 signatures and contact details of residents facing problems due to the activity. “Since the land belongs to the administration there is some confusion over who will clean it. A similar situation is seen on the cycle tracks of the city with the MC and administration passing the buck on their maintenance,” he said.
Residents allege open defecation by nearby villagers
Budaniya alleged that the land was being used by some residents of the nearby Attawa village in Sector 42 for open defecation. Notably, Chandigarh has been declared open defecation free plus plus (ODF++) by the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs under the Swachh Bharat mission.
However, local area councillor Chanderwati Shukla said, “We are unaware about any garbage dumping going at the vacant plot, but we will get it checked and cleared. Recently, residents approached us about weeds growing tall here, and we got them removed.”