E-Paper
HC issues notice to Chandigarh MC over hazards of Dadumajra dump
The PIL was filed by a Sector-27 resident seeking an end to the air pollution suffered by the people of Dadumajra and surrounding areas
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday issued a notice to the municipal corporation, acting on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a Sector-27 resident seeking an end to the air pollution suffered by the people of Dadumajra and surrounding areas.
The notice has been issued to the Chandigarh MC for November 26.
The PIL filed by Amit Sharma seeks directions to the MC and other state authorities to ensure an end to the air pollution, unbearable stench, and the frequent fires that release toxins in the air, and to address the various health issues being faced by over 50,000 people in Dadumajra and around.
Through the petition, Sharma has also sought directions to the MC to follow the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, to reduce the quantum of garbage dumped at Dadumajra.
The petitioner has also urged the high court to order an inquiry/probe into the MC’s failure to follow the directions of the National Green Tribunal on waste management and processing. “Why were environmental laws flouted, and what is the outcome of the crores of taxpayers’ money spent on study tours for waste management?” the petition has asked.
107% more cases of pneumonia in Dadumajra
The petitioner stated that Dadumajra/Dhanas had 107% more cases of pneumonia in 2020 as compared to all the other colonies in Chandigarh.
The petitioner pointed out that the “wretched quality of air and life in the area is further aggravated by the frequent toxic fires in the mountain of garbage that is only getting higher by the day. With the MC able to process a mere 13.36% of the waste dumped here last year, and only 16.09% from January to May in 2021, the problem of unprocessed garbage is threatening to swamp the Dadumajra area”.
“It is also leading to increased incidents of fire in the dump that the office of the medical officer of health (MOH) is neither able to prevent nor explain. The fire in March this year lasted a week and covered the entire city in a haze, hindering visibility and causing respiratory issues among people in the vicinity,” said the petition.
The petitioner accused the MOH of “willfully failing” to manage the waste, the fires, and the health of the people in the area.
